Lieutenant Colonel Brian C. Donnelly is a native of Wilmette, Illinois. He is a 1997 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a BA in Latin American Studies and a minor in Business Management. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in December 2000. He completed The Basic School in June 2001.
Second Lieutenant Donnelly reported to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he attended the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course from July to December 2001. After graduation he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Marines in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii from January 2002 to September 2004. While there he served as a Forward Observer, Assistant Executive Officer, Battery Fire Direction Officer, Liaison Officer, and Battery Executive Officer. He participated in numerous battalion level exercises and a battery deployment to Okinawa, Japan.
In September 2004 First Lieutenant Donnelly received orders to 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) in Camp Pendleton, CA where he was promoted to Captain in July 2005. Captain Donnelly was trained as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller and served as a Firepower Control Team Leader and Supporting Arms Liaison Team Leader during two combat deployments to Iraq. During his time with the company he attended MAWTS-1 Air Officer Course in Yuma, AZ and worked as a Battalion Air Officer supporting multiple U.S. Army battalion task forces in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
Captain Donnelly was selected for resident PME at the Expeditionary Warfare School in July 2007 in Quantico, VA. Following graduation in 2008, he was augmented to Officer Candidates School as a Platoon Commander for Delta Company, 3rd Platoon.
In September 2008 Captain Donnelly reported to 5th Battalion, 11th Marines in Camp Pendleton, CA where he served as the Commanding Officer of Battery T until September 2010. He deployed with the battery in support of OEF 10.1-10.2 supporting MEB-A and I MEF in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. In September 2010 Captain Donnelly was assigned as the Operations Officer for 2d Battalion, 11th Marines where he served until May 2011.
Major Donnelly was selected to attend the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) ILE PME at Fort Benning, GA where he also received his MS in International Relations from Troy University in May of 2012. Following school, Major Donnelly served as an exchange officer with the Chilean Marine Corps from 2012-2013 in Concon, Chile. In 2013 he was assigned to Small Wars Division of CD&I in Quantico, VA where he served as the Conventional Force and SOF Integrator from 2013 to 2015.
In July 2015 Major Donnelly reported to 1st Battalion, 10th Marines where he served as the Battalion Logistics Officer and the Battalion Executive Officer. During this time he supported deployed for training in Fort Stewart, GA and ITX in 29 Palms, CA.
In January 2017 Major Donnelly was selected to serve as the Operations Officer for Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Africa 17.2. They returned from deployment in October of 2017 and Lieutenant Colonel Donnelly was assigned as the Fires & Effects Coordinator for II MEF.
Lieutenant Colonel Donnelly’s personal decorations include the Purple Heart, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with V and two gold stars, Army Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one silver star, the Combat Action Ribbon and Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist qualification. Lieutenant Colonel Donnelly is married to the former Chona Gonzales of Farmington, New Mexico. They have two children, Ian (12) and Erika (4).