COL Kelvin Mote

Colonel Kelvin Mote currently serves as the Director for the Army Strategic Education Program. He is a native of the Tennessee River Valley, growing up in the mountains of East Tennessee and North Alabama. A 1993 graduate of Arab High School, his career in the military started in 1992 with an enlistment in the US Army Reserves as a combat canon crewmember.

While serving two years in C Co 1/167th Infantry of the Alabama National Guard he attended Marion Military Institute, graduating in 1995 as a Second Lieutenant. He continued his collegiate study at the University of Tennessee, while simultaneously serving in the Tennessee National Guard as a Tank Platoon Leader. Upon graduation with a Bachelor’s in English with secondary studies in Arabic and Middle Eastern Affairs, he returned to Active Duty as a Scout Platoon Leader for 2nd ACR in FT Polk, Louisiana, volunteering for duty as a forward deployed Operations Officer for OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH in 2000. Upon returning from deployment, he attended the Armor Captain’s Career Course and commanded Alpha Company 2-81 Armor in FT Knox, Kentucky.

Following command, Colonel Mote returned to 2nd ACR serving as the Regimental S5, Civil Military Operations Director, for the Regiment’s 15-month deployment in OIF 1. After his return from Iraq, he was selected for duty as a Civil Affairs Officer, attending the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center for training before serving as a Civil Affairs Team Leader for C Co, 96th Civil Affairs, FT Bragg, North Carolina. Colonel Mote deployed during this time as a Team Leader for a Special Operations Task Force in the Arabian Peninsula responsible for countering Iranian influence.

After his second combat tour, he attended the Information Operations Qualification course and Intermediate Level Education. Colonel Mote served in the 3/25th Infantry Division for two years, deploying to MND-North for OIF 9-11, serving as the Brigade S7 and Public Diplomacy military liaison with the Salah ah Din Provincial Reconstruction Team. After the unit’s redeployment, he served as the US Army Pacific’s Contingency Command Post IO Planner. Following his assignment in the Pacific, Colonel Mote attended Joint Coalition Warfighting School with a follow-on assignment to US Strategic Command serving as the IO Branch Chief for JFCC Global Strike J39. During his third year of the statutory Joint tour, he was selected as Chief of the Commander’s Action Group responsible for direct liaison with senior officials in the District of Columbia and strategic weapons advocacy. Colonel Mote completed his Joint tour and returned to the Army as the senior Observer, Coach, and Trainer for Operations Group Alpha, Mission Command Training Program, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 2015, Colonel Mote deployed for a year in support of the State Department serving as the Strategic Engagement Advisor for the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) for Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Colonel Mote advised the Coordinator on strategic engagement opportunities that support U.S. objectives in the region while coordinating with joint, inter-agency, and international partners.

Colonel Mote served as the Information Operations Plans Chief for the United States Pacific Army. As the Plans Chief he ensured synchronization of all non-kinetic efforts supporting the theater while coordinating Army Title 10 responsibility of Army IO and Military Information Support Operations (MISO) across the Pacific. Following his assignment at United States Pacific Army Pacific, he served as the G39, Information Warfare Director for I Corps at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington. During his tenure, Colonel Mote advanced multi-domain operations and influence activities for the Corps while also providing COVID-19 response options for senior Army leadership.

Colonel Mote graduated the U.S. Army War College in June 2021 and has a doctorate from Creighton University. After AWC Graduation, he served as the Joint Information Operations Director for US Forces Korea, Combined Forces Combined, and United Nations Command responsible for combined and joint fires and effects across all domains.

Colonel Mote’s awards and decorations include the Combat Action Badge, Senior Space Badge, Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal with Campaign Stars, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. His civilian awards include the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award for political analysis in support of Public Diplomacy.

Colonel Mote’s publications include “The Future of the Joint Warfighting Headquarters: An Alternative Approach to the Joint Task Force”, an article in Air and Space Power Journal advocating for revitalization of joint nuclear doctrine, and “Ascension of North Korea as a Nuclear State: A Consequence of Childhood Neglect?” in the International Journal of Korean Studies. Colonel Mote also presented multiple times at the Indo-Pacific Command Information Operations Symposium in support of USINDOPACOM.