History in the USMC

Sergeant Joshua Kelly is a 24-year old graduate of Danville High School in Danville, Iowa. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in June 2001 out of Marine Corps Recruiting Station Des Moines and currently works at Permanent Contact Station Moline in Moline, Illinois, Recruiting Substation Quad Cities in Davenport, Iowa. After recruit training, Sgt Kelly attended the School of Infantry West and earned the military occupational specialty of rifleman. He then attended Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) School at Camp Pendleton, California. His first assignment was as an LAV crewman for 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division at Twenty-Nine Palms, California. In February 2003, Sgt Kelly deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a LAV driver, and in August 2004, he deployed to Iraq again as a vehicle commander.

Commendation

Sgt Kelly was awarded the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat “V” for his heroic service while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from August 2004 to March 2005. At the time, Sgt Kelly was a Cpl and an LAV commander with Company D, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. While patrolling the Hit city bridge for suspected roadside bombs, Cpl Kelly’s platoon was ambushed by a numerically superior force from the opposite side of the Euphrates River. Unnerved by the enemy’s persistent fires and disregarding his own safety, Cpl Kelly maneuvered his vehicle to a firing position, identified several enemy targets and issued accurate fire commands to his gunner. When the platoon’s dismounted scouts were caught in an exposed position, he deliberately moved his vehicle in front of them, distracting the enemy’s attention and effectively enabling the scout squad to move to a covered position, while drawing much of the enemy’s fire. He also facilitated the platoon’s maneuver and the massing of its fire against the enemy, which broke the insurgents’ will to fight. Cpl Kelly’s initiative, perseverance and total dedication to duty reflected credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.