In July 2021, Lt. Col. Kelly O’Lear received the Legion of Merit for his career of service as an Army Chaplain. Chaplain O’Lear distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious service in a succession of positions of great importance and responsibility to the United States Army and the nation. 

O’Lear has served our nation almost continuously since 1991, first as a medic in the National Guard and regular Army and subsequently as Army Chaplain, in which capacity he served in such challenging assignments as Stryker and Airborne Infantry, Arlington National Cemetery, and Special Operations.  

Serving as Battalion Chaplain in the 520th Infantry Battalion from 2003-2005, O'Lear distinguished himself during a one-year combat deployment to Iraq, where he rotated throughout the country to care for his soldiers during heavy fighting in Baghdad, Tal Afar, and Al Najaf. He proved himself to be a true force multiplier by engaging local nationals on foot patrols, assisting with humanitarian assistance, assisting medics with the wounded and conducting religious leader engagements. A team player, he integrated his redeployments with the brigade staff. In the absence of a Brigade Chaplain, he coordinated with the Brigade Surgeon to create a redeployment package that was used by all battalions in the brigade. 

As Battalion Chaplain for 1-91 Cavalry of the 173rd Airborne Brigade from 2006-2008, Chaplain O'Lear spent 16 months in almost daily combat in Nuristan to include Camp Keating. Again proving his mettle by being out front with his Soldiers, he climbed the mountains of the Hindu Cush to shepherd his flock. His spiritual and moral leadership was critical to the unit following the loss of two Troop Commanders in combat. Leading by example, he exemplified moral counterinsurgency efforts by engendering himself to local children through creating a cricket league, providing school supplies from American donors and conducting regular religious leader engagements. He continuously circulated the battlefield to provide counseling and worship to 12 different outposts. 

In his role as Burial Chaplain at Arlington National Cemetery from 2009-2011, Chaplain O'Lear established the unofficial record of 930 burial services. A consummate professional, he was assigned the role of VIP burials during his second year. During a time of intense national scrutiny at Arlington, Chaplain O'Lear proved to be a stabilizing force by maintaining the high standards required of America's most hallowed ground, remaining unfazed by anti-war protests and a Congressional investigation into ANC. He left a lasting imprint by establishing Chaplain SOPs and training plans for Chaplains that are still in use today. 

Chaplain O’Lear served as a Brigade Chaplain in the 4th Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division from 2011-2013. During an eight-month deployment to Kandahar, the Brigade lost over thirty soldiers, with over 150 receiving Purple Hearts. Chaplain O'Lear flew to Kandahar Airfield to participate in the Flight Line Honors Ceremony for each fallen soldier. Again practicing counterinsurgency, he mentored Battalion Chaplains on conducting Religious Leader Engagements, often accompanying them to provide insight and feedback. His close relationship with the Afghan Army Religious Affairs Liaisons contributed to the near-elimination of Green on Blue attacks during the last two months of the deployment. His diplomatic efforts resulted in the initiation of regular meetings of Afghan National Army Mullahs with local Mullahs to work towards peacekeeping. 

As professor of world religions at the J.F.K. Special Warfare Center and School from 2014-2017, Chaplain O'Lear further established his professional reputation and was named Director of Regional and Cultural Studies soon after his arrival. 

While there, O’Lear also became a sought-after instructor by the Air Force and Navy and the Joint Special Operations University Special Forces Groups to provide instruction during their "education week.” His success in this role was recognized on two separate occasions as the Special Operations Command Educational Program of the Year. During this time he also served as the Contract Officer Representative, with contracts exceeding $1.2 million annually. Meanwhile, as a shepherd to his students and reports, he instituted a regular Wednesday Eucharist and lunch service to minister to those going through training. 

Serving as Command Chaplain in Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAF) from 2017-2019, Chaplain O'Lear set the standard for ISOC Command Chaplain Programs. Taking leadership of the Commander's Preservation of the Force and Family (POITFF) Program, he grew the team by adding a financial counselor, two military family life consultants, and a suicide prevention counselor. His family programs became the model and gold standard for JSOU's Graduate Certificate in Special Operations Ministry. 

Always a caregiver, his pastoral presence was critical during a time of losses suffered in the Tongo Tongo Ambush of 2017. Stationed in Baumholder for two weeks, he provided daily counseling and comfort while also empowering, mentoring, and supervising Religious Support Teams, directly and from distance across Africa, as they provided religious support to Navy SEALS, Special Warfare Airmen, Marine Raiders, and Army Special Forces. He also resurrected the Panzer Chapel Liturgical Service, growing it from an average weekly attendance of 12 to 74 in two years. 

Chaplain O'Lear concluded his career as the Command Chaplain for Army Sustainment Command from 2019-2021, during which time he built a program from the ground up that ministers to both soldiers and Department of Army civilians alike. Ministering to ASC (A Soldier’s Child) families, he began regular iterations of the Chief of Chaplains Strong Bonds Program. At the same time serving as the Installation Chaplain, he extended his role by offering classes—including Financial Peace University (resulting in almost $500,000 in paid-off debt) and a silent retreat to deal with stress, anxiety and trauma—to the entire Rock Island Community. Again reaching out to the local community, he regularly provided counseling and classes at the VA Center and provided religious support personally or through a variety of electronic media during the COVID pandemic. 

Responding to the particular household stressors of ASC families, he taught—simultaneously locally and globally through MS Teams—1.2.3 Magic to over seventy ASC families. His weekly spiritual encouragement letter was well received throughout the Command. Extending his influence, the Unit Ministry Team is fully nested with the ASC G4 mission. He also provides leadership in the installation on the Continuity Response Committee as well as other ACS agencies.

In addition to the Legion of Merit, O’Lear was recently inducted into the Order of Martin of Tours. According to the office of the Chief of Chaplains, Major General Thomas Solhjem, “the Honorable Order of Martin of Tours is awarded to those chaplains who have demonstrated the highest standards of integrity and moral character, displayed an outstanding degree of professional competence, selflessly served soldiers and families, and contributed to the promotion of the Army Chaplaincy.”

O’Lear’s exceptionally meritorious service, leadership, and dedication to duty as the Chaplain, U.S. Army Sustainment Command and his professionalism, technical skill, and unwavering devotion to and genuine concern for Soldiers/DA civilians have always set him apart and ensured the success of all assigned missions. Chaplain O'Lear's achievements and exemplary performance of duty, culminating a distinguished career of 22 years, are in keeping with the highest tradition of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the U.S Army Materiel Command, and the U.S. Army.

Lt. Col. Kelly O’Lear serves as the Director of Formation and Leadership Development at Nashotah House. Fr. O’Lear draws upon his own chaplaincy and leadership development experience to support the spiritual formation, vocational development, and wellbeing of members of the student body and their families, with a particular emphasis on their vocational formation as leaders. Please visit this Chapter link to read more about Fr. O’Lear.

About the Legion of Merit

Any person serving in the Armed Forces of the United States without regard to the degree may be awarded the Legion of Merit for extraordinarily meritorious conduct while in the discharge of their duty with outstanding services and achievements.

The act justifying the award must have been committed in an obviously outstanding way so as to have been recognized by significant persons. Execution of responsibilities typical to the grade, branch, specialty or assignment and experience of a person is not sufficient criteria for the Legion of Merit.

For duty not associated with actual war, there must be confirmation of noteworthy accomplishment by "key individuals" in a narrower range of the station. While in times of peace, the justifying act should have a quality of an unusual requirement or of a remarkably complicated act carried out in an unexpected and obviously extraordinary way; however, the award may be validated by the accrual of outstanding meritorious services of important positions.

In September 1937, proposals for the establishment of a Meritorious Service Medal were made; however, no official action was taken towards its approval. The Adjutant General, in a letter to the Quartermaster General (QMG) on 24 Dec. 1941, formally called for action to begin to formulate and design a Meritorious Service Medal on the occasion that the decoration was instituted. On 5 Jan. 1942, the QMG gave the Assistant Chief of Staff G1 (Colonel Heard) suggested designs created by Bailey, Banks and Biddle and the Office of the Quartermaster General.

The design referred to by the QMG was approved by the Secretary of War as indicated by a letter in response to the QMG by The Assistant Chief of Staff G1 (BG Hilldring). Directions were given that action was taken to guarantee the design of the Legion of Merit (change of name) and that it would be ready for issue as soon as the legislation was taken approving its ratification into law.

On July 20, 1942, The Legion of Merit was formally confirmed by An Act of Congress (Public Law 671 - 77th Congress, Chapter 508, 2d Session) and assured that the medal "shall have suitable appurtenances and devices and not more than four degrees, and which the President, under such rules and regulations as he shall prescribe, may award to (a) personnel of the Armed Forces of the United States and of the Government of the Commonwealth Philippines and (b) personnel of the armed forces of friendly foreign nations who, since the proclamation of an emergency by the President on 8 Sept. 1939, shall have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services."

On August 5, 1942, the War Department Bulletin No. 40 published the medal. On October 29, 1942, President Roosevelt, in Executive Order 9260 instituted the rules for the Legion of Merit and commanded the President's approval for the award. However, at the appeal of General George C. Marshall, approval authority for U.S. appointees was given to the War Department in 1943. President Eisenhower revised approval authority in Executive Order 10600 on 15 March 1955. Title 10, United States Code 1121 contains the current requirements.

The motto taken from the Great Seal of the United States, "ANNUIT COEPTIS," (He [God] Has Favored Our Undertakings) along with the date of America's first decoration, the Badge of Military Merit, now recognized as the Purple Heart, "MDCCLXXXII" (1782) is on the reverse side of the medal. The design of the ribbon is the same as the  Purple Heart Ribbon.