(Tribune News Service) — For the second time in as many years there will be a new commander at Fort Jackson, the U.S. Army said Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Jason E. Kelly will be sworn in as the new commanding general at the Army Training Center and Fort Jackson, Army officials said in a news release.

Kelly will become the 53rd commanding general for Fort Jackson, according to the release.

He’ll be sworn in at a change of command ceremony on Aug. 31, where he will assume command from Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Michaelis, Army officials said.

Michaelis, who took command at Fort Jackson in June 2021, is retiring and becoming the commandant of corps of cadets at Texas A&M University, according to the release.

Michaelis is a distinguished military graduate from Texas A&M University, according to the Army.

Fort Jackson is the nation’s largest military basic training base with more than 50,000 recruits assigned there each year.

The base’s commander has more “direct responsibility” for training soldiers than any other officer in the U.S. Army, retired Maj. Gen. Malcolm Frost, who commanded the Army Center for Initial Military Training, previously said.

Kelly was most recently the command general of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division, according to the release. He became the South Atlantic Division Commander in June 2020 and oversaw the planning, design, and construction of projects to support the military, protect America’s water resources, and restore and enhance the environment within a 250,000 square mile area which includes all or part of eight southeastern states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Army officials said.

A native of Flint, Michigan, Kelly attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and graduated in 1994 with a commission as an engineer officer, according to the release. He’s married and has two children.

Since then he has served as the Director, Office of the Chief of Engineers at the Pentagon and the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan District from June 2018 to July 2019 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District from July 2015 through June 2018, Army officials said.

Kelly’s Previous Leadership Positions

▪ Commander of the 20th Engineer Battalion in Afghanistan

▪ Deputy Commander of the 36th Engineer Brigade during Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn

▪ Commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division

▪ Assistant Operations Officer for the 10th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division

▪ Adjutant for both the 44th Engineer Battalion and the 2nd Infantry Division Engineer Brigade in Korea

▪ Plans Officer for the 4th Infantry Division Engineer Brigade; and Line Platoon Leader, Assault and Obstacle Platoon Leader

▪ Company Executive Officer in the 588th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, according to the release.

Kelly’s awards and decorations

▪ Legion of Merit

▪ Bronze Star (three awards)

▪ Defense Meritorious Service Medal

▪ Meritorious Service Medal (five awards)

▪ Army Commendation Medal (four awards)

▪ Army Achievement Medal

▪ Meritorious Unit Award

▪ National Defense Service Medal

▪ Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Star Device

▪ Afghanistan Campaign Medal

▪ Iraqi Campaign Medal

▪ NATO Medal

▪ Combat Action Badge

▪ Parachutist Badge

▪ Sapper Tab

▪ Army Engineer Association’s Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal and the Silver Order of the de Fleury Medal

SOURCE: U.S. Army

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