A legacy of service: Finding direction in uniform

Published May 16, 2025
By Jennifer Gangemi
Special Warfare Training Wing

Chief Kelly speaks to graduates — More than 800 Airmen and Guardians assigned to Flights 189-206 march in the 737th Training Group’s graduation parade, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, February 27, 2025. The ceremony is one of three Department of the Air Force, Basic Military Training graduation events and signifies the transition from trainee to Airman or Guardian. Brig. Gen. Matthew S. Cantore is the Deputy Commander, Space Training and Readiness Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colo. was the reviewing official for the ceremony and Chief Master Sgt. William Kelly, Command Chief, Special Warfare Training Wing spoke to Airmen and Guardians. The 37th Training Wing, known as “Gateway to the Air Force” is home to BMT.

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- When Chief Master Sgt. William Kelly stood as the reviewing official and guest speaker at his daughter’s Basic Military Training graduation, the moment represented more than just a proud father watching his child follow in his footsteps. It marked the continuation of a legacy where military service provided direction and purpose for two generations searching for their path.

“I wasn’t going anywhere,” Kelly recalls of his pre-military days. With a girlfriend who had a daughter he had grown to love, Kelly joined the Air Force seeking financial stability and greater opportunities. His journey began with a gentle nudge – his mother placing photographs of security forces defenders on the refrigerator.

“Every time I went to go get a snack or whatever, there it was,” Kelly remembers.

Space Force Specialist hugs mother at coining — Space Force Graduation

After participating in San Diego Police Department’s explorer cadet program as a teenager, security forces seemed a natural fit. Though Kelly quickly discovered law enforcement wasn’t the primary function of his new career field, he found his calling in the physicality and camaraderie of air base ground defense operations, leading him to pursue advanced training like Ranger School and Airborne School.

Nearly two decades later, history would repeat itself with Kelly’s 19-year-old daughter, Haillee.

“Academically sound individual, honor graduate, kind of introvert, and a great personality,” Kelly describes his daughter. But like her father in his youth, Haillee lacked direction after high school. Her interests varied from marine biology to art, but concrete plans remained elusive.

Presiding officials for BMT graduation enter the stage. — More than 800 Airmen and Guardians assigned to Flights 189-206 march in the 737th Training Group’s graduation parade, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, February 27, 2025. The ceremony is one of three Department of the Air Force, Basic Military Training graduation events and signifies the transition from trainee to Airman or Guardian. Brig. Gen. Matthew S. Cantore is the Deputy Commander, Space Training and Readiness Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colo. was the reviewing official for the ceremony. The 37th Training Wing, known as “Gateway to the Air Force” is home to BMT.

The solution came in a form remarkably similar to Kelly’s own experience – a gentle push toward military service.

“It was more like an ultimatum,” Kelly explains with characteristic directness. He and his wife Angela presented Haillee with limited options: pursue higher education, develop a career plan, or join the military. “We would rather have a child that was angry with us than let her flounder in life,” Kelly admits.

They took Haillee to an Air Force recruiter, but her exceptional ASVAB scores opened an unexpected door – eligibility for the Space Force.

Flight of guardians at graduation parade — More than 800 Airmen and Guardians assigned to Flights 189-206 march in the 737th Training Group’s graduation parade, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, February 27, 2025. The ceremony is one of three Department of the Air Force, Basic Military Training graduation events and signifies the transition from trainee to Airman or Guardian. Brig. Gen. Matthew S. Cantore is the Deputy Commander, Space Training and Readiness Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colo. was the reviewing official for the ceremony. The 37th Training Wing, known as “Gateway to the Air Force” is home to BMT.

Though initially resistant, Haillee has embraced her new path as an All Source Intelligence Analyst trainee.

“I am a lot more open and willing to hang out with people more, compared to when I was a civilian,” she says. The once-introverted teenager now participates in barbecues and plays on a softball team – activities Kelly notes “she really would have never done if she could have continued her current patterns of life.”

The parallels between father and daughter extend beyond their entry stories. Kelly describes how the military provided him structure, purpose, and community at a critical juncture. Now he sees the same transformation in Haillee.

“From being handed maybe $20 for a chore here and there in care of feeding of her cat who is her best friend, to being a part of the world’s greatest Space Force,” Kelly reflects with pride.

Kelly and daughter — Graduation day photo courtesy of the Kelly family

For both Kellys, military service became the catalyst for personal growth when direction was lacking. The principles Kelly has lived by throughout his career – do what’s right, not what’s easy; do what’s needed before it’s needed; and take risks even when afraid of failure – have now been passed to his daughter.

“I think she’s finding herself as a person, but as a professional and in adult life,” Kelly observes. “I think she’s going to achieve great things and we’ll be there to continually support her along the way.”

From security forces to Space Force, service to the nation is the family business, and the Kelly family’s journey illustrates how military service continues to transform searching individuals into focused service members, creating a legacy that spans generations.

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