Col. Kelly D. McElveny is the Deputy Commander, 37th Training Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
As deputy, he assists the wing commander in leading the wing comprised of more than 24,000 students and permanent party Airmen and sister service members. Known as the Gateway Wing, the 37 TRW provides foundational training and education to develop mission ready Airmen, Guardians and sister service members; strengthens and sustains U.S. and international partnerships through English language and special skills training for allied forces; and is the Department of Defense executive agent for the Military Working Dog program.
The wing is comprised of the 737th Training Group, which generates nearly 93% of the Air Force enlisted force and 100% of the Space Force enlisted force in Basic Military Training; the 37th Training Group which provides technical training in 24 different career fields; the Inter-American Air Forces Academy that promotes security cooperation principles through the delivery of professional military education and technical training in Spanish; and the 637th Training Group, known as Defense Language Institute English Language Center, which provides English language training and cultural immersion for more than 3,500 international military students annually.
Col. McElveny was commissioned through Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in 2000. He has held several positions to include Flight Commander, Chief of Squadron Intelligence, Chief of Intelligence Plans, Director of Operations, Wing Inspector General, and Squadron Commander. In his previous assignment, Col. McElveny was the Deputy Director, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance/Cyber Effects Operations Readiness & Talent Management. In this role, he provided readiness and career field talent management policy, guidance and oversight to deliver ISR/CEO mission ready forces.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Sciences Washington State University-Vancouver, Wash.
2000 Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2000 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala..
2009 Master of Arts in Military History, Norwich University, Vt.
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Correspondence
2016 Joint Forces Staff College, Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va.
2019 Air War College, Correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
- July 2000 - September 2002, Section Commander, 55th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
- September 2002 - July 2003, Section Commander, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
- July 2003 - March 2004, Student, 315th Training Squadron, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
- March 2004 - December 2005, Chief of Intel Systems, 354th Operations Support Squadron, Eielson AFB, Alaska
- December 2003 - July 2007, Chief of Squadron Intelligence, 355th Fighter Squadron, Eielson AFB, Alaska
- July 2007 - April 2008, Flight Commander of Current Operations, 426th Information Operations Squadron, Vogelweh, Germany
- April 2008 - August 2008, Director of Operations, 426th Network Warfare Squadron, Vogelweh, Germany
- September 2008 - June 2009, Chief of Intel Plans, 3rd Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
- June 2009 - July 2010, Assistant Division Chief, Strategy and Plans, 3rd Air Force, Ramstein AB, Germany
- July 2010 - July 2012, Director of Operations, 693rd Intelligence Support Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
- September 2012 - July 2013, Director of Operations, 312th Training Squadron, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
- September 2012 - July 2013, Wing Inspector General, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
- July 2015 - May 2018, Deputy Director, Intelligence Mission Support, Special Operations Command-Pacific, Camp H. Smith, Hawaii
- June 2018 - June 2020, Commander, 337th Recruiting Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.
- June 2020 - July 2021, Region Director, United States Air Force Academy, Oxon Hill, Md.
- July 2021 – June 2022, Air Force Fellow, The Brookings Institute Washington, D.C.
- June 2022 – July 2024, Deputy Director for ISR/CEO Readiness & Talent Management, AF A2/6F, Arlington, Va.
- July 2024 - present, Deputy Commander, 37th Training Wing, JBSA-Lackland, Texas
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 26, 2000
First Lieutenant May 26, 2002
Captain May 26, 2004
Major December 1, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2015
Colonel October 1, 2021
(Current as of July 2024)