Kelly won awards and accolades for his 1991 coverage of the first Gulf War. The United States military used a pool management system to organize reporters, control access, and gain favorable coverage, but Kelly opted out of that system in favor of independent reporting. His experience during Operation Desert Storm later served as the basis for his book "Martyrs' Day: Chronicles of a Small War" (1993). His reporting on the war for "The New Republic" had already won a National Magazine Award and the Overseas Press award.