Honoring Our Veterans: Kelly Morris
 | Author:
Matthew Nelson
MT43 News Correspondent |
Honoring Our Veterans: Kelly Morris
Retired US Army Lt. Colonel Kelly Morris joined the Montana Army National Guard (MTARNG) in Billings in August 1987. There was a tank company in town near the airport and he thought it would be exciting to operate tanks. Having always been interested in the military, he saw it as a way to both serve his community and country and to help provide for his family. At the time he joined the MTARNG, he was working for the USDA Soil Conservation Service in Billings. It is now called the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Kelly and his wife Lori had just moved to Billings after he had graduated from college in Glendive.
He thought, “When I retire it would be nice to have some supplemental retirement, and I wanted to be in one of those tanks. I thought I would kill two birds with one stone. So, I joined the Guard and started off as a Tank Crewman. Early on I let it be known that I wanted to become an officer.”
After about a year in the Guard, he was accepted into Officer’s Candidate School (OCS), and he attended the Montana Military Academy in Helena. Once he graduated, he became a 2nd Lieutenant and an Armor Officer, where he was assigned to Company D/1-163D Armor Battalion in Great Falls as a Platoon Leader. He stayed with that company for the next nine years, serving as Platoon Leader, Executive Officer and after being promoted to Captain, the Company Commander. After about a year as a Tank Company Commander, the MTARNG reorganized the 1-163D into a Mechanized Infantry battalion. Kelly went to Ft. Benning, Georgia to the Infantry Officer Advance Course, branch transferred to Infantry, and served two more years as the Company Commander of what was now Company B/1-163D Combined Arms Battalion (CAB)
He then became a staff officer of the 1-163rd CAB which was located initially in Bozeman but then moved to Belgrade. He fulfilled most of the staff functions during the 18 years he was with the 1-163rd. In 2004 the Battalion was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and after a 6-month train-up, spent 2005 in Iraq, where Kelly served as the Battalion's S-3 or Operations Officer. He was stationed at a Forward Operations Base (FOB) McHenry in Northern Iraq between Bayji and Kirkuk.
As the S-3 Operations Officer, Kelly oversaw the planning for all of the operations that the 163rd was involved with. “It was a fast-paced, stressful yet exciting job that kept you going 16-20 hours a day, 7 days a week. It was absolutely amazing watching these young Montana soldiers executing their combat missions with such professionalism. They were one of the very best Battalions in all of Iraq!”
Two ancient rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris, both flow through Iraq. The Tigris River was closest to where Kelly was stationed. It formed part of the western edge of the Battalion Area of Operations. He submitted two photos of himself near this river.
After returning home from Iraq, Kelly went to work full-time for the Montana National Guard (MTNG) and would spend the last 10 years of his career working for them in various capacities, including Deputy Inspector General, Commander of 1-163D CAB, the J2, or senior Military Intelligence Officer, and the J 5/7, or Future Plans and Operations Officer. Kelly retired from the Montana Army National Guard as a Lt. Colonel in 2017, after serving 30 years. He also had 21 years as a civilian with the NRCS.
Kelly and his wife Lori have lived in Townsend since the end of 1991 and have raised 5 kids here. Now Kelly does an excellent job working in his photography business, which he started in 2015. Among other things, quite often he does the photography for the Townsend sports teams. Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KSMorrisPhotography, or check out his website at: https://kmorris99.zenfolio.com/ .
Quoting from his website, Kelly writes,
“Welcome from Big Sky Country!
For the last 30 years, I have been blessed to live, work, play, and raise a family in Montana. My love of the outdoors, the natural beauty of Montana, and the wildlife within it have led me to a love of photography.
Much of my photography is from Broadwater County, where I reside, which has many scenic and wildlife photography opportunities. However, I am fortunate in that I am able to travel throughout Montana, capturing as much of the state as I possibly can.
So please, come on in, sit back and relax, and enjoy some of the beauty of Montana. My hope is that you enjoy viewing the photos as much as I enjoy taking them.
Thank you for visiting!
Kelly.”
Kelly and Lori are strong Christians and both serve in their church, Mountain Valley Church. God Bless, and thank you for your service to our country, Kelly.
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: Kelly Morris
Image 1 Caption: MAJ Kelly Morris on “No Name” bridge over the Tigris River in North Central Iraq, August 2005.”
Image 2 Caption: MAJ Kelly Morris enjoying the view of the Tigris River from the top of a palace in Tikrit.
