Retired Marine General John Kelly has been tapped to run the Department of Homeland Security. He’s the third general nominated to be a part of Trump’s cabinet:
General James Mattis was chosen to lead the Department of Defense and General Mike Flynn for National Security Advisor.
General Kelly’s son was killed in combat in Afghanistan. He used this tragedy to speak about support for our troops:
At a time when the divide between the military and civilian world has never been greater, the words of Marine Gen. John Kelly have helped bridge the gap. He didn’t set out to be a spokesman. A former enlisted infantryman, Kelly rose to a four-star rank over a nearly 40-year career leading Marines, including many months in combat. He had two sons who followed him into the Marine Corps. One, 1st Lt. Robert Michael Kelly, 29, was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 while leading a patrol in Sangin, at the time a hotly contested piece of terrain in Helmand province.
Since then, the elder Kelly has resisted media efforts to make the story about him or his loss. But he has made a number of speeches to Marines, families and other groups.
His words have resonated, touching on themes that rarely get a wide airing. His talks have gone viral, earning him a broad following. “It extends beyond the Marine community,” said Marine Col. Chris Hughes.
Only days after he learned of his son’s death, Kelly kept a commitment to give a speech to the Semper Fi Society of St. Louis in November 2010.
It “would become one of the most memorable moments in the lives of everyone in the room,” according to the organization’s website.
In the speech, Kelly addressed a familiar theme: How only 1% of the nation has shouldered most of the burden of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read more: USA Today
The great news is that Kelly is known to be a “border hawk”:
Kelly differed with Democratic President Barack Obama on key issues and has warned of vulnerabilities along the United States’ southern border with Mexico.
As head of the U.S. Southern Command, his final leadership post in a 45-year military career, Kelly was responsible for U.S. military activities and relationships in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Although Kelly’s military experience may give him insight into overseas threats, like drug trafficking or Islamic extremism, it will do little to prepare him for the legal and political complexities of grappling with a sprawling agency that oversees everything from airport security to protecting against cyber threats and responding to domestic crises.
READ MORE: REUTERS
