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Kelly went on to serve on various boards and commissions, including the Women in
Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, the Maryland Veterans Commission, the Veterans Advisory Board, and the National Association of Black Military Women. She was president of Chapter 16 of the Women's Army
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Kelly died of cancer on
January 27, 2003. She was buried with full military honors in Section 67 of Arlington National Cemetery. In 2022, the
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in 1950 and serving for 26 years. She rose through the ranks to become the first black female sergeant major in the Army while serving at
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with a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1949. She taught high school for only one year before enlisting in the
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placed Kelly on its shortlist of potential new names for nine Army installations named in commemoration of the
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in the US Army and became the first female command sergeant major of a predominantly male Army installation.
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in 1972. In 1974, she became the first female command sergeant major of an Army installation (the
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from March 1947 to April 1976. She became the first
African American woman to hold the rank of
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173:) with a predominantly male base population. Kelly retired from the army on April 1, 1976.
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Corps
Veterans Association. She contributed to the campaign to erect the
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243:"5 African American Women Who Made U.S. Military History"
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United States Army non-commissioned officer (1928–2003)
129:(January 24, 1928 – January 27, 2003) served in the
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395:Military personnel from Chattanooga, Tennessee
179:Women in Military Service for America Memorial
410:African-American United States Army personnel
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405:United States Army non-commissioned officers
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390:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
247:Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
324:from the original on January 17, 2023
289:from the original on January 17, 2023
253:from the original on January 17, 2023
196:. Ultimately, her name was not used.
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241:Tharp, Jonathan (February 1, 2021).
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415:Female United States Army personnel
277:Bradshaw, Crystal (March 2, 2018).
153:, Tennessee, Kelly graduated from
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314:"Command Sgt. Maj. Mildred Kelly"
181:at the ceremonial entrance to
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183:Arlington National Cemetery
76:Arlington National Cemetery
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400:Knoxville College alumni
218:Army Cemeteries Explorer
318:Army Women's Foundation
167:Aberdeen Proving Ground
127:Mildred Catherine Kelly
34:Mildred Catherine Kelly
350:. 2022. Archived from
344:"Name Recommendations"
139:command sergeant major
107:Command Sergeant Major
52:Chattanooga, Tennessee
348:The Naming Commission
95:Years of service
279:"NCO Trailblazers"
214:"Kelly, Mildred C"
159:Women's Army Corps
131:United States Army
89:United States Army
354:on March 18, 2022
190:Naming Commission
155:Knoxville College
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119:Knoxville College
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145:Life and service
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62:January 27, 2003
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135:sergeant major
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25:Mildred Kelly
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356:. Retrieved
352:the original
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163:the Pentagon
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64:(2003-01-27)
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385:2003 deaths
380:1928 births
358:January 17,
328:January 17,
293:January 17,
283:NCO Journal
257:January 17,
223:January 18,
194:Confederacy
151:Chattanooga
374:Categories
200:References
114:Alma mater
45:1928-01-24
31:Birth name
98:1950–1976
322:Archived
287:Archived
251:Archived
171:Maryland
149:Born in
83:Service/
85:branch
71:Buried
360:2023
330:2023
295:2023
259:2023
225:2023
137:and
103:Rank
59:Died
54:, US
39:Born
169:in
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