Photo By Christine Mitchell | Army Materiel Command Headquarters awards the 2025 Louis Dellamonica Award for...... read more read more
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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — For Howell Kelly, joining the military wasn't a dramatic shift in lifestyle – it was a natural extension of how he was raised.
Growing up in Indiana, Kelly was surrounded by a legacy of service. His grandfather was a World War II veteran, his father served in Vietnam and several of his uncles wore the uniform.
“I’ve been fortunate my whole life to grow up in the family I did, with a good mom and dad, and their values were the Army values," Kelly said. "There wasn’t a lot of change I had to go through when I joined the Army.”
Today, after a successful military career and a seamless transition to federal civilian service, that lifelong dedication to Army values has earned Kelly the 2025 Louis Dellamonica Award for Outstanding Army Materiel Command Personnel of the Year.
The prestigious award recognizes AMC employees below the rank of general officer and Senior Executive Service whose innovation, leadership and mission impact significantly advance Army readiness. For Kelly, an Army Civilian who worked in the Commander’s Initiative Group at AMC Headquarters during the time of his nomination, the recognition is an honor he immediately deflects to those around him.
“This is totally a team effort. This award could have and should have gone to anyone,” Kelly said. “I don’t deserve it more than anyone else on this AMC team.”
Kelly’s Army journey officially began during his junior year at Ball State University. Feeling like he was at a crossroads in life, one of his uncles talked him into joining the ROTC program. He commissioned in 1998.
“It’s the smartest thing I ever did,” Kelly reflected.
The Army not only gave him a career, but it also gave him his family. While stationed at Fort Eustis, Virginia, he met his wife, Janice.
"I would have never met her otherwise," he said. "It changed my life... I’ve been married almost 21 years, and my wife has been so supportive. Everything has gotten better for me after I got married to her, because she’s enabled me to focus on work and doing what I like to do. She gets more than half the credit.”
Kelly was first assigned to AMC in 2016. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2020 but couldn't stay away for long, returning as a civilian in 2023.
“When I came to AMC the first time, I knew this is where I wanted to work,” he said. “The military people that come here are the best in their field. I really enjoy working with them and knew it’s what I wanted to do when I ‘grew up.’”
Working at AMC Headquarters, Kelly says he feels surrounded by greatness.
“When you work around this building, it’s like a logistics and Army hall of fame. The experts in every field are here,” he said. “I always felt it was okay to excel here. You can be the best that you can be here, and it’s not only okay, it’s expected.”
During his role in the CIG, Kelly operated at the strategic level, supporting the command’s top initiatives. His work touched everything in the AMC realm from the operational readiness program and data analytics to additive manufacturing and campus-style dining venues.
“I’ve gotten to work with all of our senior leaders on their engagements across all of AMC’s efforts,” Kelly noted. "I get to support and be a part of so many things that have strategic impacts."
While his day-to-day strategic work keeps AMC moving forward, one of Kelly's proudest accomplishments is highly visible: coordinating AMC’s role in the Army’s Twilight Tattoo in Washington D.C.
"There’s thousands and thousands of kids there, buses from all over America. Twilight Tattoo is one of the biggest outreach events that the Army does," he said. "Watching those kids and their reaction to it, and the excitement of them getting off the buses... I am most proud of, and glad to be associated with, the Twilight Tattoos."
Kelly's tireless work ethic and positive demeanor do not go unnoticed by his leadership, thus his nomination for the prestigious Dellamonica Award.
“Howell Kelly is one of those rare professionals who brings a positive attitude to every challenge, no matter how complex or fast‑moving,” said Mike Mullins, Kelly's supervisor in the CIG. “I could always count on him to step up first for the toughest projects, and he consistently delivered exceptional results. He proved to be an outstanding strategic planner. His selection for this award reflects the impact he makes for AMC every single day.”
True to form, Kelly was quick to return the praise.
“I have worked for a long time in the military, and I’ve never had a better boss or seen a better staff officer than him," Kelly said of Mullins. "It seems everything that we do in this building… he’s the wizard behind all of it.”
Ultimately, Kelly attributes his success and his recent Dellamonica Award to a simple philosophy: a deep appreciation for his mission and the people he serves alongside.
“If you’re doing something you like to do, it’s not work," he said. "I have too much fun, because this is exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to do.”
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2026 15:46 |
| Story ID: | 571542 |
| Location: | REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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