GHS grad earns promotion to colonel

Cole Kelly is latest in long line of family members who have served their country

Lt. Col. Cole Kelly, a 2001 graduate of Greybull High School and the son of Ellery and Janine Kelly of Shell, was promoted to the rank of colonel in a ceremony held Jan. 14 at the Joint Forces Headquarters in Cheyenne.
Kelly’s promotion signifies personal growth, dedication, and a commitment to leadership and service that has spanned over two decades — none of which will come as a surprise to anyone who knows the Kelly family.  
Cole’s great grandfather was a medic in World War I, his grandfather served in the Korean War, his dad was in the Army National Guard and he has cousins who served and were injured in Fallujah.
“I don’t know when it started, but it’s kind of our thing,” said Ellery. “When we don’t know what else to do, we go into the military.”
That’s how it happened for Cole.  He joined the National Guard in January of 2021 — four months before graduation. At the time, he saw it a way to pay for college while following in the footsteps of family members.
“I think it came as a little bit of a surprise to the faculty (of GHS) when I decided to go that route,” Cole said. “At the time, I wasn’t much of a rule follower. I don’t think it’s something they would have predicted.”
Cole went on to attend the University of Wyoming, where he graduated with a degree in history. But his passion was the military. He committed to it fully when he realized he could carve out a career for himself in it.
With 23 years of dedicated service to the Wyoming Guard, Kelly’s promotion to colonel is a significant milestone in his military career.
“This is the biggest step I’ve ever taken,” Kelly said a statement released by the Wyoming National Guard. “Making O-6 is a lot of responsibility, and I need to respond accordingly by thinking more critically and being open to ideas.”
Kelly’s leadership style centers on “servant leadership” and aligns with the “transformational leadership” style, which focuses on team building and process improvement. He believes that setting high expectations and involving team members in decision-making is the key to success.
Kelly has held various positions throughout his career, each contributing to his leadership growth. These roles include fire direction officer, battery operations officer/executive officer, signal company commander, 115th Brigade assistant intelligence officer, 115th Brigade intelligence officer, 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Battery commander, 94th Troop Command logistics officer, and operations officer.
His two-year assignment at the National Guard Bureau in the National Capital Region provided him with invaluable insights into the strategic level of operations and a deep sense of humility, working alongside brilliant individuals at that level, according to Kelly. He later returned to Wyoming as the joint director of military support on the joint staff, where he coordinated responses to search and rescue missions, flood and fire incidents, the COVID-19 pandemic, and capitol support.
Kelly said about the importance of military intelligence, “Military intelligence requires understanding the enemy mindset and predicting their actions.”
This experience greatly impacted Kelly’s deployment with the 115th Field Artillery Brigade in 2009. His contributions in analyzing improvised explosive device patterns were so influential the information was briefed to the Multi-National Corps-Iraq Commander and saved lives.
Also, during his deployment, Kelly recounted a transformative experience.
“On my 2009 deployment, I was a young lieutenant filling the intelligence officer position right up to mobilization site,” Kelly said. “We received a major from the inactive ready reserves who had been out of the Army for 13 years. I was frustrated that someone from outside the organization, let alone the Army, replaced me due to rank. The transition wasn’t easy and instead of burning me up, he took the time to mentor me. Out of this experience at the beginning of the mobilization, I learned to check my ego and lean toward empathy and understanding versus punishment. I gained a lifelong mentor in Col. (Retired) Charles Bolles.”
Currently, as the Deputy Chief of Staff of Personnel for the Wyoming Army National Guard, Kelly manages the personnel requirements for all 1,500 Wyoming Army Guard soldiers, ensuring they get paid, promoted, and receive their awards.
Cole’s wife, Bethany, has a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, works in the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office and volunteers at the F.E. Warren ICBM and Heritage Museum in Cheyenne.  They have three children:  Madison, 17; Nora, 15, and Torin, 12.
As one might expect, Ellary is a very proud father.  While he had a notion that Cole would serve in the military, he didn’t expect him to reach these heights.
“I will tell you this, though,” he said.  “I think Cole was 7 or 8 years old.  We were all sitting at the rodeo in Basin, he was between his mom and me, and he said, ‘When I get older, I’m going to be a bullfighter and I’m going to be a general.’
“At the time, I thought, yeah right. But he was a bullfighter for a while in Cody when he was younger — and now he’s just one step away from being a general. It’s pretty amazing what he’s accomplished.”