U.S. Air Force Academy in May 1986 and was
designated an Air Force Pilot in October
1987. He then reported to the 426th F-15
Replacement Training Unit at Luke Air Force
Base, Phoenix, Arizona for initial F-15 Eagle
training. After completion, he was assigned to
the 67th Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter
Wing at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.
During his tour in Japan, he was designated
as an instructor pilot, evaluator pilot, and
mission commander. He was reassigned in
April 1992 to Otis Air National Guard Base in
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, as part of Project
TOTAL FORCE, where he continued flying
the F-15 as an instructor and mission
commander. He was selected for Air Force
Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base,
Edwards, California, where he graduated in
June 1994. After graduation, he was
assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center
detachment at Nellis Air Force Base in Las
Vegas, Nevada, where he was a project test
pilot and assistant operations officer. He was
at Nellis when selected for the astronaut
program.
Johnson Space Center in August 1996. Technical
assignments to date include tasks in the Shuttle Branch,
the International Space Station Branch, CAPCOM, and
Cape Crusader where he served as a member of the
Astronaut Support Personnel team responsible for shuttle
launch preparation. Kelly was the pilot on flights STS-102
and STS-114, and has logged over 643 hours in space.
Special Honors include: Distinguished Graduate in the
class of 1986 at the U.S. Air Force Academy, with honors;
Distinguished Graduate of Undergraduate Pilot Training at
Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force
Base, Wichita Falls, Texas; Top Gun at F-15 initial training
at Luke Air Force Base, Phoenix, Arizona; Distinguished
Graduate and Liethen-Tittle award for the Outstanding
Graduate of the Air Force Test Pilot School, class 93B; 2
Air Force Commendation medals, 2 Outstanding Unit
Awards, 2 Combat Readiness medals, and various other
service awards.
Married to the former Dawn Renee Timmerman of
Burlington, Iowa. They have four children. He enjoys family
activities, biking, softball, reading, music. His parents,
William & Mary Ann Kelly, reside in Burlington, Iowa.
He Graduated from Burlington Community High School,
Burlington, Iowa, in 1982; received a bachelor of science
degree in astronautical engineering from the U.S. Air
Force Academy in 1986; a master of science degree in
aerospace engineering from the University of Alabama in
1996.
