Defence Leaders: Army
Major General Mark Kelly, AO
Land Commander Australia
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Major General Mark Kelly was born in Sydney, and educated at James Ruse Agricultural High School. He graduated from the Royal Military College in December 1978 and was allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.
A career Infantry Officer, he has commanded at every level in the Australian Army including Platoon, Company, Battalion, Brigade, Division and Land Command.
His regimental and command experience includes, Platoon Commander 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, Mortar Platoon, Adjutant, Rifle Company Commander and Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, Commander 3rd Brigade (Ready Deployment Force), Commander 1st Division and the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters and Land Commander Australia.
His staff appointments include Aide de Camp to the General Officer Commanding Field Force Command (now Land Command), SO3 Operations Headquarters Field Force Command, Brigade Major of the 3rd Brigade (Ready Deployment Force), as an SO1 (LTCOL) in the Directorate of Plans and the Directorate of Officer Career Management in Army Headquarters, Chief of Staff of the 1st Division and the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters and as the first Director of the Coalition Planning Group at Headquarters United States Central Command.
He also served as the Exchange Instructor on the Platoon Commanders Battle Course at the British Army School of Infantry, Warminister, UK.
His operational experience includes service with the Commonwealth Monitoring Force in Zimbabwe/Rhodesia during the Independence Elections in 1979/1980, Chief of Staff of INTERFET for OPERATION STABILISE in East Timor.
1999/2000 and with US CENTCOM in the Middle East planning operations in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and Iraq during 2003/2004.
Major General Kelly assumed his present appointment as Land Commander Australia on 15 July 2005.
He was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) on Australia Day 2008 for his service as Commander 1st Division and Land Commander Australia. He had previously been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service as the Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment and as Chief of Staff of the 1st Division. He was awarded the US Legion of Merit (Degree of Officer) for his service with US Central Command.
His academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (UNSW 1978), a Graduate Diploma in Defence Studies (Deakin 1990) and a Masters of Arts in Defence Studies (UNSW 1995). He is a graduate of the Royal Military College (1978), the Australian Army Command and Staff College at Queenscliff (1990) and is a Fellow of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies at the Australian Defence College in Canberra (2000).
He is married to Gabrielle and they have a son, Christopher. He enjoys reading and listening to music and his sporting interests include Rugby, Golf, Touch Football and Running.