Major Thomas C. Kelley III '82—Distinguished Alum
Written June 2006
Harding Academy takes great pride in presenting its 2006 Distinguished Alumni Award to Major Thomas C. Kelly III, known to his Harding classmates as “Trey.” After graduating from Harding in 1982 and from Brentwood Academy in 1986, Major Kelley earned a bachelors degree in 1990 as Distinguished Military Graduate from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina—where he was a member of the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship Football Team and the ROTC. He since has built a successful career as an officer in the United States Army. Major Kelley’s awards and distinctions include:
- Serving as the Aeroscout Platoon Leader while stationed in Germany.
- Performing counternarcotics missions in South America and personally flying more than 100 imminent danger hours.
- Being selected by the Army to be the Aviation Detachment Commander for the U.S. Army Parachute Team known as the Golden Knights.
- Managing the contract that provided maintenance for National Guard aircraft flying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In April 2005, Trey was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of these aircraft.
- Receiving the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and numerous other decorations.
Major Kelley also holds a master’s degree from Webster University. He is married and has three children: Karrie (16), Thomas (13), and Taylor (10). He was recently reassigned to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where he is performing contracting and negotiating duties on behalf of the U.S. Army.
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