Title: Cattle Rancher
Company: Key Ranches LLC
Location: Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States
Kevin J. Key, LTC (Ret.), Cattle Rancher at Key Ranches LLC, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Business Owners for dedication, achievements, and leadership in cattle ranching and military operations.
With more than 30 years of experience to his credit, Mr. Key began his career as a forklift operator for Western Nevada Supply between 1990 and 1998. During this time, he was additionally active as a ski instructor for Diamond Peak Ski Resort from 1993 to 1997 and Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe from 1997 to 1998. He subsequently served in the U.S. Army, advancing from the rank of soldier to lieutenant between 1997 and 2000. Soon thereafter, Mr. Key worked as a battalion ammunition and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) officer and second ranger battalion with the 75th Ranger Regiment of the United States Army Special Operations Command from 2000 to 2004.
Mr. Key later excelled with the U.S. Army Special Forces as part of the Seventh Special Forces Group in myriad roles between 2005 and 2014, including a detachment commander for Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha, commander for Helicopter Sea Combat Company, the commander for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, commander for A Company and operations officer. He further operated as the Central America regional engagement branch chief for Special Operations Command South from 2014 to 2016 and a battalion commander for Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division from 2016 to 2018. In the years that followed, he was appointed as a strategic planner and a transitioning servicemember for the United States Special Operations Command between 2018 and 2021. Mr. Key has found success as an independent consultant, a board member for Aurai Capital and a cattle rancher for Key Ranches LLC since 2021.
To support his professional ambitions, Mr. Key pursued an education at the University of Nevada, Reno, earning a Bachelor of Arts in social sciences in 1998. He continued to refine his skills through the Command and Staff Program in Joint Professional Education Phase 1 at U.S. Naval War College from 2010 to 2011. In 2012, he obtained a Master of Science in defense analysis at Naval Postgraduate School and an Associate of Arts in Spanish at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Following these accomplishments, Mr. Key concluded his studies at National Defense University, completing the Joint Professional Education Phase II program in military joint operations planning and strategy in 2015.
As a testament to his stellar military service, Mr. Key was presented with various accolades over the years, including multiple Defense Meritorious Service Medals, Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medals, and Bronze Stars, in addition to a Purple Heart in 2007, a Combat Infantry Badge in 2007, the Army Commendation Medal in 2002 and an Expert Infantry Badge in 2000, among others. As a cattle rancher, he is continuing his family’s longstanding legacy, with ranching having been a key part of his family’s passions for generations. Among the many highlights of his career, Mr. Key is proud of his military tenure, having initially cut his teeth as a cavalry scout in the Nevada National Guard but eventually became a Green Beret, participated in the U.S. military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and learned incredible skills he utilizes to this date, including in the field of real estate.
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