Gene C. McKinney

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Gene McKinney

SMA Gene McKinney
Place of birth	Monticello, Florida
Allegiance	U.S. Army
Years of service	1968-1997
Rank	Sergeant Major of the Army
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Combat Infantryman Badge

Gene McKinney was the 10th Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) of the United States, serving from July 1995 to October 1997. During his tenure, he faced charges of sexual harassment from several current and former female subordinates. The Army relieved him of his SMA duties while the court martial was pending; during that time, two Command Sergeants Major — one his twin brother, James McKinney — took over his duties in rotation.

Sergeant Major McKinney was acquitted of all sexual harassment charges, but was convicted of obstruction of justice, and received a reduction in grade to Master Sergeant (E-8) and a reprimand; (however, upon retirement from active duty, he was allowed to retire with full military pay and benefits which he had earned at his higher, former grade as Sergeant Major of the Army due to the fact that he had once held the rank).

Gene C. McKinney one of five McKinney brothers born in Monticello, Florida, all of whom served in the Army. One served as an officer, one retired as a master sergeant, another served in Vietnam, and an identical twin reached the rank of Command Sergeant Major. He enlisted in the United States Army in August 1968, and completed Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training as an armored cavalryman at Fort Knox, Kentucky. From 1969-1970, he saw combat in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. In more than 28 years, he served in all Noncommissioned Officer leadership positions to his rise in rank of Command Sergeant Major. He is a graduate of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, Class 31. He rose through the ranks over three decades to become Sergeant Major of the Army. He was the first African-American to hold that position. Prior to his becoming the 10th Sergeant Major of Army, he was Command Sergeant Major of the United States Army Europe; 8th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Bad Kreuznach, Germany; 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Vilseck, Germany; 612th Quartermaster at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; 1st Battalion, 58th Mechanized Infantry, 197th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia; 3rd Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment in Budingen, Germany; 3rd and 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas; and 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bamberg, Germany. In June 1996, he made history by becoming the Tenth Sergeant Major of the Army and the first Sergeant Major of color to wear the chevrons. He had an opportunity that no other Sergeant Major of color has had before in the history of the Army, a position of serving at the highest levels of the Army and represented all enlisted soldiers.