Face of Defense: Son of Fallen Guardsman Enlists on Parents' Anniversary

By Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti, Virginia Army National Guard

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 28, 2017 — Twenty years after his parents got married and 10 years after losing his father in Iraq, Pvt. Paul David Kelly, 19, raised his right hand and enlisted into the Virginia Army National Guard.

Colonel James Ring, chief of staff for the Virginia Army National Guard, administered Kelly's oath in front of his mother, his grandmother, younger brother, a few friends and his recruiters, July 26.

"We are honored and proud for my son to be part of the Guard family," Kelly's mother, Maria, said. "I thank God for all the support and love, and I know my husband is looking down to us and I know in my heart that he will protect our son."

Family Legacy of Military Service

Serving in the military was always one of Kelly's goals, he said. Both his parents served in the military. His father, Army Col. Paul M. Kelly, served in the Virginia National Guard. His mother, Maria, served in the Air Force.

Photos of Paul as a child show him dressed up in a uniform just like the one his dad would wear to work every day. He said he’d wear his father's boots and stomp around the house, playing soldier, just like his dad.

When Kelly was 9, the helicopter his father was traveling in was shot down north of Baghdad and Col. Kelly, along with 11 other soldiers, including fellow Virginia Army National Guard member Sgt. 1st Class Darryl D. Booker, died.

Serving in Father’s Footsteps

For Kelly, this only strengthened his resolve. He was sure that he would serve, just like his departed father.

"When he was killed in Iraq, it had a huge impact on me," Kelly said. "I remember when I was nine years old I decided then that I wanted to pursue something in the military."

Ten years later, at the Military Entry Processing Station located at Fort Lee, Virginia, Kelly fulfilled that goal by enlisting as an infantry soldier assigned to the Christiansburg, Va.,-based Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Remembering Fallen Father

Over those 10 years, Kelly's mother worked hard to keep the memory of Col. Kelly alive for her sons.

"Every single day we talk about him," Maria said. "He's always there for us. And in my house -- every single corner of my house -- we have a family picture. His dad's picture is there and he knows -- Dad is here."

"I know he's saying it's OK," Maria said of her fallen husband.

Virginia Army National Guard Service

Colonel Kelly, an aviation officer, commanded the Virginia Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment a few years before his death and the Virginia Guard aviation community rallied around both the Kelly and Booker families in the days, months and years that followed their deaths.

"We were very active with the military and with all my dad's friends," Kelly said of his fallen father. "They never forgot my dad."

Ring was one of those friends. He said he counted Col. Kelly as both a mentor and a friend and served under him during the unit's deployment to Bosnia in 2002.

"The greatest memory I have is his leadership style," Ring said of Col. Kelly. "He was known to be a tremendous leader, a tremendous people person. We often gave him the nickname of "The Senator" because he walked around always shaking hands and always had a smile on his face."

Like Father, Like Son

Ring has a daughter near Pvt. Kelly's age and his children have grown up alongside the Kelly children. He watched Kelly grow from a child to a young man and recognizes the leadership style of Col. Kelly in Pvt. Kelly. Ring said enlisting his friend's son into the Virginia Army National Guard was a privilege.

"When we take the oath we enjoin our families in that process, as well," Ring said.

Maria said she feels like her son's service is a continuation of her husband's.

"It's a sad moment for my husband that he passed, but it's a happy moment for my son who will continue the legacy for my husband," she said.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis Remarks with President Petro Poroshenko

Remarks as Delivered by Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Presidential Palace, Kyiv, Ukraine,

Mr. President, it is an honor to stand alongside you on Ukraine’s Independence Day as a tangible demonstration of our unity and solidarity.

Have no doubt, the United States stands with Ukraine. We support you in the face of threats to your sovereignty and territorial integrity, to international law, and to the international order

We do not, and we will not, accept Russia’s seizure of Crimea.

And despite Russia’s denials, we know they are seeking to redraw international borders by force, undermining the sovereign and free nations of Europe.

Russia put its reputation on the line when it accepted the call for an immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons, and to grant the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe unfettered access under the Minsk Agreement.

In 1994, Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum – alongside the United States, United Kingdom and Ukraine – providing Ukraine with assurances that all parties would respect its independence, sovereignty and existing borders.

In that memorandum, Russia also promised to refrain from the threat or use of force in exchange for Ukraine’s relinquishment of nuclear weapons.

Once again, under the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act, Russia agreed to refrain from the “threat or use of force against each other or any other state, its sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence.”

Unfortunately, Russia is not adhering to the letter, much less the spirit, of these international commitments

The U.S. and our allies will continue to press Russia to honor its Minsk commitments and our sanctions will remain in place until Moscow reverses the actions that triggered them.

As President Trump has made clear, the United States remains committed to diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

I am especially pleased to be here today with Ambassador Kurt Volker, the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations.  Ambassador Volker is coordinating carefully with our allies on these efforts.

As Secretary Tillerson said in July, the United States’ goals are to restore Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to seek the safety and security of all Ukrainian citizens, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or religion.

We in the United States understand the strategic challenges associated with Russian aggression.

Alongside our allies, we remain committed to upholding the widely accepted international norms that have increased global stability since the tragedy of World War II.

Mr. President, we continue to support Ukraine and remain committed to building the capacity of your armed forces.

We applaud Ukraine’s commitment to reform and modernize its defense sector according to NATO standards. This will make Ukraine’s forces more operationally effective as well as more effective protectors of the Ukrainian people. We look forward to full implementation of NATO standards.

The United States and Ukraine are cultivating a lasting strategic partnership, already twenty-five years in the making, built on common security interests and shared principles.

I look forward to continuing to build on that partnership, which we strengthened when President Trump hosted you at the White House in June and reinforced during our meetings here today.

President Approves Emergency Declaration for Louisiana

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2017 — President Donald J. Trump today declared that an emergency exists in the state of Louisiana and ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Harvey beginning on Aug. 27, 2017, and continuing, according to a White House news release.

The president’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts, the release said. This action will help alleviate the hardship and suffering that the emergency has inflicted on the local population, and provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the Louisiana parishes of Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis and Vermillion.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding, the release said.

FEMA Administrator Brock Long named William J. Doran III as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas.