John F. Kelly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John F. Kelly
Official portrait, 2016
28th White House Chief of Staff
In office July 31, 2017 – January 2, 2019
President	Donald Trump
Deputy	Kirstjen Nielsen James W. Carroll Zachary Fuentes
Preceded by	Reince Priebus
Succeeded by	Mick Mulvaney (acting)
5th United States Secretary of Homeland Security
In office January 20, 2017 – July 31, 2017
President	Donald Trump
Deputy	Elaine Duke
Preceded by	Jeh Johnson
Succeeded by	Kirstjen Nielsen
Commander of the United States Southern Command
In office November 19, 2012 – January 16, 2016
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Douglas M. Fraser
Succeeded by	Kurt W. Tidd
Personal details
Born	John Francis Kelly (1950-05-11) May 11, 1950 (age 75) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Karen Hernest ​ (m. 1976)​
Children	3
Education	University of Massachusetts Boston (BA) Georgetown University (MA) National Defense University (MS)
Military service
Branch/service	United States Maritime Service United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1969 (USMS) 1970–1972 (USMC) 1972–1975 (inactive reserves) 1975–2016 (USMC)
Rank	General
Commands	United States Southern Command 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Multinational Force West
Battles/wars	Gulf War Operation Desert Storm Iraq War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) with Combat "V"

John Francis Kelly (born May 11, 1950) is an American who served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a general. He later became a political advisor. From 2017 to 2019, he was the White House chief of staff for President Donald Trump.

Before that, he was the Secretary of Homeland Security in the Trump administration. He also led the United States Southern Command, which is a military group. Kelly is now on the board of a company called Caliburn International.

Kelly was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He joined the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He became an officer after college. He moved up through the ranks. His last military job was from 2012 to 2016. He was a four-star general leading the U.S. Southern Command. This command handles American military operations in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

In January 2017, Kelly joined the Trump administration. He was chosen as the first Secretary of Homeland Security. He was known for being very strict about immigration laws. After six months, he became the White House chief of staff. This role helps manage the White House. He was the first military officer to hold this job since Alexander Haig in the 1970s.

Growing Up and School

John Kelly was born on May 11, 1950, in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were Josephine and John F. Kelly. His family was Catholic. His father worked for the post office in Brighton. John grew up in the Brighton neighborhood.

Before he was 16, he traveled across the country. He even rode trains from Seattle to Chicago. He then worked for one year in the United States Merchant Marine. He said his first trip overseas was taking beer to Vietnam.

In 1970, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in an infantry group. In 1972, he left active duty as a sergeant to go to college. He returned to the Marines in 1975. He completed Officer Candidates School. He became a second lieutenant on December 27, 1975.

In 1976, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston. In 1984, he earned a Master of Arts degree. This was in National Security Affairs from Georgetown School of Foreign Service. In 1995, Kelly graduated from the National Defense University. He earned a Master of Science in strategic studies.

Military Career Highlights

After college, Kelly returned to the Marine Division. He served in various roles. These included leading platoons and companies. He also served on aircraft carriers. In 1980, he attended the U.S. Army's Infantry Officer Advanced Course.

From 1981 to 1984, he worked at Headquarters Marine Corps. He then returned to the Marine Division. He commanded a rifle company. In 1987, he became a major. He then worked as a battalion operations officer.

Kelly's official U.S. Southern Command portrait

Kelly and U.S. Senator John Warner at a briefing in 2006.

In 1987, Kelly moved to the Basic School in Quantico, Virginia. He taught young officers there for three years. He then attended more military colleges.

He was chosen to be a lieutenant colonel. He commanded the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. This group helped police during the Los Angeles riots of 1992. After two years, Kelly returned to the East Coast. In 1995, he became a colonel. He worked as a liaison officer to the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1999, Kelly worked in Mons, Belgium. He was a special assistant to the supreme allied commander, Europe. In 2001, he returned to the U.S. He worked at Camp Lejeune again. In 2002, Kelly served with the 1st Marine Division. He was the assistant division commander.

Much of his time was spent in Iraq. In March 2003, he was promoted to brigadier general. This was the first time a Marine Corps colonel was promoted in a combat zone since 1951.

In April 2003, Kelly led a group called Task Force Tripoli. They moved north from Baghdad into other cities. Kelly once said that Marines are tough. He compared taking Baghdad to past battles like Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima.

Kelly briefing reporters at the Pentagon in 2014.

His next job was helping the commandant of the Marine Corps. In January 2007, he was nominated for major general. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in September 2007.

In July 2007, Kelly became commanding general of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. In February 2008, he took command of the Multi-National Force–West in Iraq. He returned to the U.S. in February 2009.

Kelly was nominated for lieutenant general in March 2011. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He then became the senior military assistant to the Secretary of Defense. He was nominated for General in January 2012. He was confirmed in July 2012. He became commander of U.S. Southern Command in November 2012.

In a speech in May 2014, Kelly talked about the War on Terror. He said that the enemy wants to destroy our way of life. He believed the fight would continue for many generations. Kelly left his command in January 2016.

Secretary of Homeland Security Role

On December 7, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump chose Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This is a very important job in the government. Trump's team liked Kelly because he knew a lot about the U.S.–Mexico border.

On January 20, 2017, the United States Senate approved Kelly for the job. The vote was 88 to 11. That evening, Vice President Mike Pence officially swore him in.

Kelly is sworn in before President Trump's speech at DHS Headquarters in 2017.

Kelly's official portrait as Secretary of Homeland Security, 2017.

In April 2017, Kelly gave a speech. He said that if lawmakers don't like the laws, they should change them. Otherwise, they should support the people who enforce them.

Kelly wanted the U.S.–Mexico border wall to be finished within two years. He said construction would start by the end of summer 2017. He believed a border wall was important. He said it would help stop threats like drugs and people entering the U.S. illegally.

In May 2017, Kelly spoke about terrorism. He said it is a constant threat. He also said that Americans are protected by amazing people. He mentioned that the threat was so serious that some people would "never leave the house" if they knew everything.

What He Did as Secretary

During his time as Secretary of Homeland Security, Kelly oversaw some of the Trump administration's policies. These included rules about travel from certain countries. They also involved reducing the number of refugees. He also increased the deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Kelly was known for being very focused on enforcing immigration laws. He changed some rules for federal immigration agents. He also expanded who could be targeted for deportation. The DHS under Kelly was one of the few government parts that quickly put Trump's policies into action. Kelly worked well with President Trump.

White House Chief of Staff Role

President Trump appointed Kelly as White House chief of staff on July 28, 2017. He replaced Reince Priebus. Kelly started his new job on July 31, 2017. On that same day, Kelly removed Anthony Scaramucci from his role. Scaramucci had been the White House communications director for only ten days. Kelly reportedly asked to remove him because Scaramucci said he reported directly to the president, not the chief of staff.

On August 18, 2017, Kelly also removed Steve Bannon. Bannon was the White House chief strategist. In September 2017, Kelly changed how some offices worked. He made sure that Peter Navarro, who led the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, reported to Gary Cohn.

Kelly during the MSC in 2017.

When Kelly first started, many people thought he would bring order to the White House. News outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post discussed this. However, some wondered if he would truly change things. By February 2018, Kelly was seen as having strong views on issues like immigration. He supported the administration's policies on border security.

In December 2018, news reports said that Kelly and Trump were not talking much. It was expected that Kelly would leave his job soon. On December 8, Trump announced that Kelly would leave at the end of the year. On December 14, 2018, the White House announced that Mick Mulvaney would take over as chief of staff.

After the events at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021, Kelly said he supported removing Trump from office. He stated that what happened was a direct result of Trump's words.

Personal Life

John Kelly married Karen Hernest in 1976. They have three children: Robert, John Jr., and Kathleen.

On November 9, 2010, Kelly's 29-year-old son, First Lieutenant Robert Michael Kelly, died in action. He stepped on a land mine while leading Marines in Sangin, Afghanistan.

Robert Kelly had been an enlisted Marine before. This was his third combat tour. It was his first as a Marine Corps infantry officer. At the time of his death, Robert Kelly was with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. John Kelly became the highest-ranking American military officer to lose a child in Iraq or Afghanistan. Kelly's other son is also a Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel.

Military Awards

Kelly received many military decorations and awards for his service:

See also

In Spanish: John Kelly para niños

• List of people who have held multiple United States Cabinet-level positions