Colonel Brandon M. Kelly

Col. Brandon M. Kelly is the Wing Commander, 482d Fighter Wing, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. As the Wing Commander, he is directly responsible for overall management of the installation, including a squadron of 28 F-16C/D aircraft. His leadership span of control encompasses over 2,300 Airmen, including 165 active-duty Air Force personnel, more than 1,300 traditional reservists, over 240 Air Reserve Technicians, and over 280 full-time civilians. Additionally, he oversees the seamless integration of 11 tenant units to include the Florida Air National Guard,U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team, Headquarters Special Operations Command South, and a geographically separated detachment of 35 Airmen at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

Col. Kelly was commissioned in 1998 as a graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. He has served in a variety of positions and rolesincluding Assistant Weapons Officer, Navigation Officer, Battalion Air Liaison Officer/Joint Terminal Attack Controller, Flight Commander, Combat Search and Rescue (Sandy1), Forward Air Controller, Mission Commander, Instructor Pilot, Formal Training Unit Instructor, Fighter Group Commander, and Fighter Squadron Commander. Prior to his current position, Col. Kelly was the Reserve Advisor to the Director of Operations, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

The colonel is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours, including over 2,800 hours in the A-10. He has deployed in support of Operation SOUTHERNWATCH in Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Bagram AB, Afghanistan, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM with the 10th Mountain Division as a Battalion Air Liaison Officer/Joint Terminal Attack Controller throughout Iraq, and Operation FREEDOM’S SENTINEL in Kandahar AB, Afghanistan.