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It is always a good day in the Corps when a Marine is promoted to the next rank. Liam Kelly, a rifleman with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC), was recently promoted to the rank of Sergeant. This promotion was notably special because he was not only pinned by a brother in arms, but also a brother by blood. Sgt. Liam Kelly had the privilege of being pinned by his older brother, Sgt. Aidan Kelly, a radio operator assigned to the Command Element of the SPMAGTF-CR-CC, while both forward deployed to the Central Command Area of Operations.
“Having my brother on deployment has been an interesting experience. It is like having a piece of home away from home,” said the newly promoted Kelly brother. Home for the Kellys is many, many miles away in Thousand Oaks, California. The two were roommates for the first 15 years of their lives and it is quite evident they miss those days of sharing a bunk bed.
“We can neither confirm nor deny the presence of sleepovers,” the brothers joked.
The chances of family members being deployed together are slim to none. The chances of promoting your brother with your own chevrons while deployed is even more unlikely. The two brothers were given the opportunity to do just that. This family in particular has quite the relationship with the Marine Corps. Three out of the six Kelly children are Marines.
“I have now been able to promote both of my brothers to their current rank,” said the eldest Kelly brother.
The beginning of the legacy can be traced back to their grandfather.
“My grandfather served for 31 years. It was always in the back of my mind and once I saw my two older brothers become Marines, I knew that is what I was going to do,” said the rifleman as keeping the tradition alive. The feeling is mutual between all the Kelly Marines.
This deployment to the Middle East is one the brothers will never forget. They are scheduled to return home in the near future where they will be reunited with the rest of the Kelly family during post-deployment leave.
| Date Taken: | 07.12.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2021 11:26 |
| Photo ID: | 6737719 |
| VIRIN: | 210712-M-LO469-1008 |
| Resolution: | 3888x2592 |
| Size: | 580.73 KB |
| Location: | SA |
| Web Views: | 70 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
This work, Brothers in Arms, Brothers by Blood [Image 4 of 4], by Sgt Alexandra Munoz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Brothers in Arms, Brothers by Blood
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