General

John Francis Kelly

BACKGROUND (GENERAL/CAREER)
Personal Information
John Francis Kelly

Education
Air University - Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course 2007
Montgomery, AL 36112 (National Defense University Accessed 11/19/16)
AND
United States Army War College - Joint Force Land Component Commander Course - 2006
Carlisle, PA 17013 (National Defense University Accessed 11/19/16)
AND
National Defense University - CAPSTONE 2004
Washington, DC 20319 (National Defense University, Accessed 11/19/16)
AND
National War College Masters in National Security - 1995
Washington, DC 20319 (National Defense University, Accessed 11/19/16)
AND
The School For Advanced Warfighting, Marine Corps University - 1992
Quantico, VA 22134 (National Defense University Accessed 11/19/16)
AND
The Marine Corps’ Command & Staff College - 1991
Quantico, VA 22134 (National Defense University Accessed 11/19/16)
AND
Georgetown University Master’s in National Security Affairs 1984
Washington, DC 20057 (National Defense University, Accessed 11/19/16)
AND
The Basic School, United States Marine Corps 1976
Quantico, VA 22134 (U.S. Senate, 7/19/12)
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AND
University Of Massachusetts Bachelor’s - 1976
Boston, MA (U.S. Department Of Defense Accessed 11/19/16)
Work Experience
February 2016-Present: Retired (National Defense University, Accessed 11/19/16)
November 2012-January 2016: U.S. Southern Command Combatant Commander (Stars And Stripes 1/14/16)
March 2011-October 2012: Department Of Defense Senior Military Assistant To The Secretary Of
Defense (U.S. Department Of Defense, Accessed 11/19/16)
October 2009-March 2011: Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North Commander (U.S. Senate
7/19/12)

April 2009-October 2009: I Marine Expeditionary Force Deputy Commanding General (Major
General) (U.S. Senate 7/19/12)
July 2007-April 2009: I Marine Expeditionary Force Commanding General (Major General) (U.S. Senate,
7/19/12)

September 2004-June 2007: Commandant Of The Marine Corps Legislative Assistant To The
Commandant (U.S. Senate, 7/19/12)
July 2002-July 2004: 1st Marine Division Assistant Division Commander (Brigadier General) (U.S. Senate,
7/19/12)

July 2001-July 2002: 2nd Marine Division Assistant Chief Of Staff, G-3 (Colonel) (U.S. Senate, 7/19/12)
July 1999-July 2001: Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO - Special Assistant To The Commander
In Chief (Colonel) (U.S. Senate, 7/19/12)
June 1995-June 1999: Headquarters Marines Director House Liaison Office, Legislative Affairs (Lt.
Colonel/Colonel) (U.S. Senate, 7/19/12)
June 1992-May 1994: 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Commanding Officer (Lt. Colonel)
(U.S. Senate 7/19/12)

June 1987-August 1990: The Basic School Head, Tactics Section; Head, Tactics Group; Director,
Infantry officers’ Course (Major) (U.S. Senate, 7/19/12)
August 1986-June 1987: 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, 2nd Marine Division Operations Officer (Major) (U.S.
Senate 7/19/12)

1984-1987: 2nd Marine Division (Captain) (U.S. Department Of Defense Accessed 11/19/16)
1981-1984: Headquarters Marine Corps Assignment Monitor (Captain) (U.S. Department Of Defense Accessed
11/19/16)

1980: U.S. Army’s Infantry Officer Advanced Course - (Captain) (U.S. Department Of Defense, Accessed 11/19/16)
1979-1980: U.S.S. Forrestal and U.S.S. Independence Sea Duty (National Defense University Accessed 11/19/16)
1976-1978: 2nd Marine Division Rifle And Weapons Platoon Commander; Company Executive officer;
Assistant Operations Officer; Infantry Company Commander; (U.S. Department Of Defense Accessed 11/19/16)

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1970-1972: Marine Corps Enlisted (Discharged As Sergeant) (U.S. Department Of Defense, Accessed 11/19/16)

QUESTIONS FOR GENERAL JOHN KELLY

Policy Questions
Border Wall
Background: Kelly maintains the belief that protection of the U.S. southern border is so inadequate that
biological weapons could be smuggled across. In discussing Mr. Trump’s plan to build a border wall, Kelly
has stated the U.S. will need to do even more than that to secure the border.
• How would you advise the President on securing the southern border of the U.S. knowing
that a border wall must be play an integral part in said plan?
• What other resources can the U.S. use to secure our borders and reduce the influx of drugs
and weapons smuggling?
ISIS Tactics – Troop Surge
Background: Kelly has stated his belief that to completely defeat ISIS, a large number of U.S. and allied
troops with need to be deployed on the ground in the Middle East. Mr. Trump has indicated he would
prefer not to put American soldiers on the ground to combat ISIS.
• Would you share with us your strategic preferences for combating and defeating ISIS?
• Would you be willing to help shape a military strategy that would help defeat ISIS but
would also prioritize minimizing U.S. troops on the ground?
Women In Combat
Background: Kelly has expressed worry that military commanders would be “pressured by ‘agenda-
driven people’ in Washington to lower military standards” to allow more women to serve in combat roles.
• What is your position on women serving in combat roles in the U.S. military?
• Would you advise the President on reduce the recent additions of women military
personnel serving in combat roles?
Russia Policy
• Russia has recently made aggressive moves against our NATO allies, prompting fears that
the United States will not live up to its obligations under the treaty to treat an attack on any
ally as an attack on itself. How would you advise the President addresses Russia’s
aggression?
• Mr. Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a source of
intense criticism during the election cycle. Do you have an opinion on how the President
should posture the image of his relationship with Putin?
Syria Policy
Background: The current conflict in Syria is considered to be the most dramatic convergence point of
ongoing American military engagements and Russia's foreign policy. Mr. Trump’s strategy and policy
towards Syria, and the greater Middle East will be vital to the sustainability of several foreign states.
• A major point of contention between the United States and Russia with regards to
objectives in Syria has been the continued leadership of Bashar Al-Assad. Obama’s red line
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 policy heightened these tensions, but his failure to act made him look weak. Would you
advocate to remove Assad from power?
Cyber Security
• Given the advancements in modern warfare and the involvement of cyber-attacks in the
2016 campaign cycle, how you advise the President’s approach to cyber-security during his
administration?
SON KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN
In November 2010, Kelly’s Son, Marine Second Lt. Robert Kelly, Was Killed By An Explosion In
Helmand Province, Afghanistan. “The most recent fatality in the Marine battalion that has seen the
heaviest casualties in Afghanistan right now was the son of a Marine three star general. Second Lt. Robert
Kelly, the son of Lt. Gen. John Kelly, was killed Tuesday in a roadside bomb blast during a foot patrol in
Helmand Province. John Kelly served as the top Marine commander in Iraq in 2008 when he commanded
the Marine force based in Anbar province. He now oversees all reserve units in the Marine Corps as head
of Marine Forces Reserve.” (Luis Martinez, “Son Of Marine General Killed In Afghanistan,” ABC News, 11/11/10)
Kelly Is The “Most Senior U.S. Military Officer To Lose A Son Or Daughter In Iraq Or Afghanistan.”
“Kelly is the most senior U.S. military officer to lose a son or daughter in Iraq or Afghanistan.” (Greg Jaffe, “Lt.
Gen. John Kelly, Who Lost Son To War, Says U.S. Largely Unaware Of Sacrifice,” The Washington Post 3/2/11)

Since His Son’s Death, Kelly Has Made “Numerous Speeches About The War In Afghanistan And
Iraq” And Warned About The Disconnect Between The Public And The Burden That Service
Members Bear. “In the years since Robert Kelly's death, his father has made numerous speeches about
the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the caliber of those who have fought them. He has predicted the
U.S. will remain engaged in conflict for decades. In 2013, while addressing a group of Marines during the
dedication of an Afghan war memorial in Southern California, the general told those gathered that
sustained conflict ‘may be an inconvenience for some, but I think it is reality.’” (Andrew deGrandpre, “Gen. John Kelly,
SOUTHCOM Chief And Gold Star Dad, To Retire,” Military Times 10/25/15)

TRUMP-PENCE
Trump
In A July 2016 Interview With Foreign Policy, Kelly Said That Clinton And Trump Were “Not
Serious Yet About The Issues” And Only Spoke In Generalities. “He said Clinton and Trump ‘are not
serious yet about the issues’ and speak only in generalities when it comes to complex topics ranging from
combating the Islamic State to handling the Syrian refugee crisis. The campaigns ‘don’t reflect reality.’”
(Molly O Toole, “Ex General To Top Brass Stay Out Of The ‘Cesspool Of Domestic Politics, ” Foreign Policy, 7/11/16)

• “Kelly Said He’d Be Willing To Serve In Either A Trump Or Clinton White House But Didn’t
Endorse Either.” (Molly O Toole, “Ex General To Top Brass Stay Out Of The ‘Cesspool Of Domestic Politics, ” Foreign Policy 7/11/16)
Kelly Criticized Trump’s Border Wall Proposal, Saying “No Wall Will Work By Itself.” “Kelly has long
argued that Americans’ drug addiction fuels instability in Central America, and that insufficient resources
and inconsistent policy leave the region’s criminal networks ripe for exploitation by terrorist groups. But
he stressed in the interview that the risk wasn’t as bad as conservative pundits liked to argue. He also
fired a direct shot at one of Trump’s main policy proposals, stressing that ‘no wall will work by itself.’”
(Molly O Toole, “Ex General To Top Brass Stay Out Of The ‘Cesspool Of Domestic Politics, ” Foreign Policy, 7/11/16)

Kelly Criticized Both Candidates’ Public Statements About ISIS, Saying Neither “Was Willing To
Acknowledge” That A “Victory…Would Likely Require A Large Number Of U.S. And Coalition
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unit, saying the prison had until then honored the prisoners’ religious and traditional belief that, as
Muslim men, only women who are close relatives can touch them.” (Carol Rosenberg, “Southcom s Kelly Installs New
Guantanamo Prison Commander, Rips Media Coverage,” Miami Herald, 7/1/15)

Retired Military Discussing Politics Publicly

In 2016, Kelly Told Foreign Policy That Current And Former Military Members Who Weigh In On
The 2016 Campaign Were Inappropriately Breaking Down A Wall Between Military And Civilian
Politics. “Nothing precludes retired generals from commenting about politics, but as retired Marine
Corps Gen. John Kelly told Foreign Policy's Molly O'Toole, it erodes an already weakened norm: To Kelly
and many other current and former military, the brass who are weighing in on the 2016 campaign with
critiques or endorsements are breaking down a sacred wall between the military and civilian politics that
helps maintain the ‘tell it like it is’ integrity of one of the most trusted institutions in the United States.”
(Daniel Drezner, “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Has Crossed Way, Way Over The Line,” The Washington Post 11/20/16)

War On Drugs
“Kelly Has Long Argued That Americans’ Drug Addiction Fuels Instability In Central America.”
“Kelly has long argued that Americans’ drug addiction fuels instability in Central America, and that
insufficient resources and inconsistent policy leave the region’s criminal networks ripe for exploitation
by terrorist groups. But he stressed in the interview that the risk wasn’t as bad as conservative pundits
liked to argue.” (Molly O Toole, “Ex General To Top Brass Stay Out Of The ‘Cesspool Of Domestic Politics, ” Foreign Policy, 7/11/16)
War Against ISIS
Kelly Said He Believes The War Against ISIS May Continue “Long After” Obama’s Successor Leaves
Office. “Trump wasn’t the only candidate Kelly criticized, at least obliquely. The retired general said the
anti-Islamic State fight will continue long after Obama and probably his successor leaves office, a
grim reality that neither Clinton nor Trump seems eager to openly discuss.” (Molly O Toole, “Ex General To Top Brass
Stay Out Of The ‘Cesspool Of Domestic Politics, ” Foreign Policy, 7/11/16)

Marijuana Legalization
Kelly Has Criticized States That Legalize Or De-Criminalize Marijuana, Saying It Causes “Problems”
For Enforcement And Looks Hypocritical To Foreign Partners. “Some U.S. states' softening stance on
marijuana is complicating a broad federal effort to curtail the influx of cocaine, heroin and
methamphetamine from Latin America, according to the four-star Marine Corps general who oversaw
military activity in that region for the last three years. ‘The actual legalization does cause us problems
because the hypocrisy,’ said Gen. John Kelly, who retires next month after completing his final
assignment as the head of U.S. Southern Command, which is headquartered in Miami. ‘... Where you stand
is where you sit. So if you're a Latin American, and we're harping on them to do more to stop the flow of
drugs, they say: 'Wait a minute. As we look north, the real problem is the demand. So why don't you do
more to stop the demand for drugs. ... Why would we do more when you seem to be legalizing this stuff?’’”
(Andrew deGerandpre, “‘Hypocrisy Of Legalizing Pot Undermines America s War On Hard Core Drugs, General Says,” Military Times, 1/16/16)

• Kelly Qualified That He Believed Medical Marijuana Was A Separate Issue. “Increasingly,
those individuals include military veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress and other
service-connected injuries or illnesses. That doesn't bother the general, who led combat forces in
Iraq as a one- and two-star general. ‘I'm not a doctor,’ said Kelly, an infantry officer whose
military career dates back to the Vietnam era, ‘but I'm told it has a medical use. So whether it's
veterans or anyone else, if it helps those people, then fine. Medicine is medicine. Every medicine is
probably illegal unless you take it medicinally.’” (Andrew deGerandpre, “‘Hypocrisy Of Legalizing Pot Undermines
America s War On Hard Core Drugs, General Says,” Military Times 1/16/16)

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 Bowe Bergdahl Prisoner Swap
Kelly Called The Transfer Of Five Guantanamo Detainees In Exchange For U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe
Bergdahl “Unusual.” “The transfer, which Gen. John Kelly called ‘unusual,’ was part of a deal for the
return of captured U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, said Marine Gen. John Kelly, the outgoing commander of
U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean as well
as the detention center at Guantanamo Bay.” (Jamie Crawford, “General Reporters Unaware As ‘Taliban 5 Flew Out Of Gitmo,” CNN,
1/9/16)

ISIS Fighters In The Caribbean

In January 2016, Kelly Said That The Number Of Islamic Extremists In The Caribbean With The
Intent To Attack Western Targets Was Increasing. “The number of Islamic extremists in the Caribbean
intent on attacking Western targets has crept upward in the last year, the U.S. general overseeing security
in Latin and South American said Friday. These would-be attackers largely come from former British
colonies within the Caribbean and along its rim, and at least a few have been killed fighting for the Islamic
State group, said Marine Gen. John Kelly, a storied combat commander in Iraq who will retire from his
final military position later this month. Kelly has seen a shift in extremist leaders’ rhetoric toward these
few ‘very, very radical mosques’ to direct their attacks from their homes, rather than attempt the
increasingly difficult journey to Iraq or Syria.” (Paul Shinkman, “Top Generaal ISIS Presence In Caribbean On The Rise,” U.S. News &
World Report 1/8/16)

POLITICAL ACTIVITY
Political Affiliation
According To GOP Data Center, John Francis Kelly Is Listed As A Registered Unaffiliated Voter In
Woodbridge, VA And Is Calculated To Be A “Swing Voter.” (GOP Data Center, Accessed 11/19/16)

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 Bill Kristol Floated Kelly’s Name For A Possible Third Party Presidential Bid
Kelly Was One Of The Many Names That Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol Floated For A Possible
Third Party White House Run. “Gen. James Mattis: Before Romney, Kristol promoted the former Marine
general as the GOP's latest savior in uniform. (He does this a lot, including with former generals David
Petraeus and John Kelly.) Mattis quickly said no.” (Max Rosenthal, “Here Are All The People Bill Kristol Can t Get To Run For The
White House,” Mother Jones 11/20/16)

DONATIONS
No Known Political Donations

BUSINESSES/ASSOCIATIONS
Memberships
In A 2012 Response To Written Questions From The Senate Armed Services Committee During His
Nomination To Be General And Commander Of U.S. Southern Command, Kelly Said He Was A
Member Of The Marine Corps Association, 1st Marine Division Association, And The Veterans Of
Foreign Wars. “Memberships: List all memberships and offices held in professional, fraternal, scholarly,
civic, business, charitable, and other organizations. Marine Corps Association. 1st Marine Division
Association. Veterans of Foreign Wars.” (Committee On Armed Services, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/19/12)
Business Associations
In A 2012 Response To Written Questions From The Senate Armed Services Committee, Kelly Said
He Had No Current Outside Business Relationships. “9. Business relationships: List all positions
currently held as an officer, director, trustee, partner, proprietor, agent, representative, or consultant of
any corporation, firm, partnership, or other business enterprise, educational, or other institution. None.”
(Committee On Armed Services, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/19/12)

Lobbying
In Reponses To Written Questions From The Senate Armed Services Committee, Kelly Said He Had
No Outside Positions Aside From Those Listed In His Service Record. “8. Government experience:
List any advisory, consultative, honorary or other part-time service or positions with Federal, State, or
local governments, other than those listed in the service record extract provided to the committee by the
executive branch. None.” (Committee On Armed Services, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/19/12)
No Record Found (Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 11/19/16)

Revolving Door
No Records Found (Center For Responsive Politics Accessed 11/19/16)

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Bankruptcy
No Records Found (Lexis, Accessed 11/19/16)

Liens
No Records Found. (Lexis, Accessed 11/19/16)

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