In Iraq, Dave met many young men and even young women, who were mailing home the Purple Heart Medals they had received after being injured in combat. Now, American Heroes In Action honors these brave men and women.

In 2001 he joined the AGR full time force as the 1-157th Battalion Training Officer and Fire Direction Officer with a follow-on assignment as Commander of B BTRY 1-157th Field Artillery.  While Commander of B BTRY, he deployed in support of Operation Noble Eagle to Fort Carson.  He was promoted to Major and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. COL McKee was deployed to Iraq for 16 months.  COL McKee was selected as the Commander of the Operational Mentorship and Liaison Team 3, and deployed the team to Afghanistan from 2011-2012.  He became the 169th Fires BDE Executive Officer upon his return, and promoted to LTC.  COL McKee became Deputy Commander of 89th Troop Command and served as the Deputy Commander over Special Forces, Aviation, Military Police, Infantry and Space Battalions and was selected for the U.S. Army War College.  COL McKee was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the G3 as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in 2017 where he served for 14 months prior to being assigned to the G1 as Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel. COL McKee graduated from the US Army War College in July of 2019.  He holds a bachelor’s of Arts Degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master’s Degree from Webster University and an additional Master’s in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

COL McKee is the recipient of several awards, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, Six Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, Six Armed Forces Reserve Medals with 3 M devices, the NATO Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, three Overseas Service Ribbons, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, three Colorado Long Service Medals, the Colorado Achievement Ribbon, three Colorado State Emergency, Service Ribbons, the Colorado Active Service Medal, five Colorado Foreign Deployment Service Ribbons, and the Louisiana Emergency Service Medal. 

Honorable order of Saint Barbara, Honorable & Distinguished order of Saint Martin. COL McKee lives in Greeley with his wife Heather, and daughter Kara, his son Colin is a senor this year at the Citadel in South Carolina. COL McKee has been an instructor for much of his career and he is looking forward to instructing our veterans how to catch fish.