STE. GENEVIEVE – Kelly London Bonds is a member of the graduating Class Of 1985 at Ste. Genevieve High School.
He has served in the United States Army from 1985 to the present and is now a Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5).
Kelly L. Bonds is a native of St Marys, Missouri.
He is the third of four children of Henry and Kathleen Coffman.
He entered the Army in July 1985 and presently has served 27 years of active duty service.
The President of the United States reposed special trust and confidence and promoted him to the highest warrant officer military rank of Chief Warrant Officer Five in December 2011 while deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn.
Kelly earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Liberty University.
His military education includes Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course, Warrant Officer Basic Course, Warrant Officer Advance course, Warrant Officer Staff Course, Warrant Officer Senior Staff Course, Lean Six Sigma, Contractor Officer’s Representative Course, and Airborne course.
He has served in numerous positions of great responsibility and has deployed to Desert Storm, Somalia, Afghanistan, and two tours in Iraq. His first ten years as an enlisted Soldier, he served as a Track Vehicle Mechanic before transitioning over to a Warrant Officer. After receiving his commission into the Warrant Officer Corps in 1995, he was assigned to Ft Bragg NC, 82nd Forward Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division as the Battalion Maintenance Officer; Korea, 702 nd Main Support Battalion , 2nd Infantry Division, as the Company Maintenance Officer; Ft Bragg, 7th Special Forces Group, Group Maintenance Officer; Ft Myer VA, 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), Regimental Maintenance Officer; Hawaii, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, G4 Senior Maintenance Officer; and currently assigned at Ft Bragg, XVIII Airborne Corps G4, Corps Senior Maintenance Officer.
Chief Warrant Officer Bonds’ awards and decorations include: Joint Service Commendation, Defense Meritorious Service Ribbon, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Ribbon , Army Achievement Ribbon, Army Good Conduct Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary, Southwest Asia Service , Afghanistan Campaign, Iraq Campaign, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Ribbon, Korean Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service, Humanitarian Service, Outstanding Volunteer Service, Army NCO Professional Development, Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Service, United Nations Medal, Kuwait Liberation, and Saudi Arabian Liberation Medal.
Kelly has also received the Big Brother of the Year Award in 1998, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, while serving multiple years with the Big Brother, Big Sister program. His goal when he retires from the military is to continue to serve and mentor the youth and assist the elders in his community.