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Running head: SMA Gene McKinney

THE 10TH SMA Gene McKinney

MSG Anthony Draughn

R05

United States Army Sergeant Majors Academy

Faculty Advisor: SGM Escamilla

March 10, 2003

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15 Minute Military Brief

10th SMA Gene McKinney

I. INTRODUCTION:

A. Greetings: Greeting of the day (good morning/good afternoon) SGM Escamilla and fellow classmates of R05. I am MSG Draughn.

B. Classification: This morning/afternoon I will be presenting a 15 Minute unclassified briefing.

C. Purpose: The purpose of this briefing is to provide information on 10th SMA Gene McKinney.

D. Refrences: Former Sergeants Major of the Army (website) the SMA by Dan Elder

E. Agenda:

Here is the Agenda that I will be following.

II. Body:

a. Growing up i. 8th Infantry Division CSM b. Follows brother to the Army j. USAREUR CSM c. First tour of duty k. Appointment to SMA d. College l. Down fall begins e. Rejoined Military m. Final days f. Role model (1SG Helms) o. Summary g. Leadership abilities p. Questions h. USASMA q. Closing

III. Conclusion:

A. Summary

1. I have discussed the raise and fall of the 10th SMA Gene McKinney, I briefed his love of the military, taking care of soldiers and his selection as 8th ID CSM, USAREUR CSM, and finally SMA, are there any questions. (SHOW SUMMARY SLIDE).

QUESTIONS

3. Concluding statement: SMA McKinney was reduced in rank to master sergeant, later that same year he retired, at his highest rank held, due in part to United States code, Draughn 3

which entitled the senior enlisted postion of each service to receive pay at the highest rage achieved.

Gene C. McKinney, the 10th Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA), was born on

November 3, 1950 in Monticello, Florida, SMA McKinney knew he wanted to join the

military even as a youth. He and twin brother James, along with their six siblings, were

raised by hard working parents who served as role models for the Mckinney children,

they learned “not to hate” regardless of the situation. Mother Elizabeth was a stern

person who would not allow her children to say any unkind words about anybody, no

matter who they were. Father Henry instilled in his children the principle that if you keep

working hard and you keep at it, you will get there. Though their education was limited,

his message to his children was to be consistent, remain focused and do not let outside

interferences knock you from where you want to go.

The boys worked with their father in the Florida fields and they saved their own

money and bought their school clothes. The town they lived in had 2, 400 residents and

SMA McKinney grew up in a house with seven other kids and only two bedrooms. After

graduating from high school in 1968. SMA McKinney’s first goal was to get out of

Monticello, with no idea what he wanted to do, he knew he wanted something better, and

that was to see beyond Tallahassee.

James joined the Army right away while Gene wanted a taste of the real world and headed north to Detroit. Their other four brothers would served in the military. After experiencing riots and killing, James told those around him “I can get paid for doing this” Draughn 4

and followed his twin into the Army. He attended basic combat and advanced individual

training at Kentucky and graduated as a cavalryman. He then went to airborne training and then was the honor graduate of his parachute riggers course. After completion of training like so many others of that area, McKinney, now a private first class, was shipped off to Vietnam. He served with the “Sky Soldiers” of 173d Airborne

Brigade with the 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry. The 173d was the first major unit deployed

to Vietnam and they later made history as the only major unit to

conduct a combat parachute assault in Vietnam. McKinney recalled the magnificent job

performed by the soldiers and noncommissioned officers during his time in Vietnam. A

volunteer himself, he did not notice a distinction between draftees and himself, he did not

notice a pulling his fair share of the load, he later sayed the toughest aspect he had to deal

with were the dangers of combat and that his youthful innocence let him take unnecessary

risks. In December 1969 McKinney was promoted to sergeant and he left Vietnam in

1970 and returned stateside to Fort Bragg, North Carolina with the 612 quartermaster

Battalion as a parachute rigger. He was later reassigned to the installation’s

transportation section and he decided to leave the service to attend college back home in

Florida.

McKinney attended Florida A&M where he met his wife Wilhemina a Florida A&M

student who was studying music education. They both wanted to attend college, but

unable to afford both tuitions he decided to reenter the Army with only a 38 day break in

service, later McKinney admitted that his mother had a lot to do with his decision to

return, she had said “You’ve been to Vietnam, seen some of the hardest combat known to Draughn 5 man” and they made you a sergeant. You’ve obviously done well for yourself in the service, why leave it now? Her words made sense to McKinney and he joined the Army for the second time in 1971. He was assigned to , Georgia, and served with the 1st Battalion, 58th Infantry as a scout section leader. He and Wilhemina were married on August 19, 1972. During this period the Army was in turmoil. The war in Vietnam had drawn to a close, the draft ahd been abolished and the recruiting slogan was “let the

Army join you” drug use and tension was high as integration in southern states like

Georgia was taking place. Staff Sergeant McKinney and his wife left for their new assignment to the 3d squadron of the 12th cavalry at Budingen, Germany. With similar problems that leaders had faced in Georgia, McKinney’s battalion commander made an effort to get soldiers of his unit to focus their frustration and energy towards healthy competition. The commander developed a unit sports program. Now McKinney had noticed that the soldiers had begun to change in their attitudes and professionalism, he believed it was primarily because these volunteers had wanted to be in the Army. It was during this assignment that McKinney decided he wanted to make the military a career and reenlisted. McKinney served four years in Germany and later was reassigned to Fort

Bliss, Texas with the 3d squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR).

It was at where he met his role model First Sergeant Felix Helms, 1SG

Helms was McKinney’s first sergeant and saw the young soldier’s potential from the moment he met him, McKinney later recalled Helms as “tough as nails but he always looked out for my best interests.” One day he called McKinney into his office and asked him to take over a communications section because it “lacked leadership” later Draughn 6

McKinney was selected to attend his first NCO education course, the Basic

Noncommissioned Officers Course (BNCOC) at Fort Knox, Kentucky. His first personal experience with the Army’s education system offered him a perspective on learning and a realization on what the needed to learn. The course typically self taught by the students, with the present of cadre nearby to assist when required. McKinney completed the course as the honor graduate. McKinney continued to work in the signal section for almost a year until he returned to a scout section, and later was selected as a master gunner. He credited first sergeant Helms for having faith in his leadership ability for success with that assignment. “He was always trying to teach me something” McKinney quote I would be on my way out and he would stop me and show me how to counsel or how to run suspense files, it didn’t matter, when you get down to it, its not what skills he taught me it’s the fact he gave a damn about me. Upon completion of his tour in Texas,

McKinney returned to Germany and was assigned as a platoon sergeant to G Troop 2d

Squadron, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment. Soon after his arrival he was tapped again for his leadership qualities. When the Commander and First Sergeant of F Troop were relieved his sergeant major placed him in the job. There he was faced with some tough challenges, yet he would realize his greatest impact would be on the training of his subordinate noncommissioned officers. SMA McKinney, returned to the United States again he was assigned to Fort Bliss, 3rd ACR as an Operations Sergeant with headquarters troop, and later as the Air Cavalry Troop First Sergeant. The ACR went through reorganization and the Air Cavalry Troop became a provisional 4th squadron where

McKinney, now selected for Sergeant Major, served as the squadron sergeant major.

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He left in 1987 to attend the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, located

across the street at nearby Biggs Army Airfield. McKinney was pleased with the course

of instruction, a graduate of the first sergeant course, he was familiar with the small

group instruction process and was physically and mentally prepared for the training,

though he would not realize until later in his career, the exposure to international studies

would pay off for him in his future assignments. Upon graduation in July 1987,

McKinney and his family headed back to Germany this time Bamberg as the 2d Squardon

Command Sergeant Major, he felt that coaching and mentoring those subordinate to him

was a significant importance and that it was a ‘big part’ of what command sergeants

major do. He later became the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Divisions, Command Sergeant

Major confident that he was qualified for his duties, McKinney set out to share his philosophies with a larger audience. Confident in his own abilities, he tired to focus on what his commanders were thinking, by 1990, McKinney was being considered for even higher level position, this time as the 8th Infantry Division Sergeant Major.

As the country was transfixed with the Iraqi aggression towards the government of

Kuwait in August 1990, McKinney found himself torn with staying with his Brigade, or

move to the Division and towards the unknown, it took the words from his commander,

then Colonel Daniel R. Zanini, to convince him that his talents would be best used in the

8th Division. As McKinney arrived at the division headquarters in Bad Kreuznach on a

Thrusday and found himself on a field exercise in Hohenfels on Friday. McKinney set

out to develop NCO led ranges the events leading up to the qualifications would

encompass all levels of individual and team training. He felt that dormant sergeant Draughn 8

majors blossomed at the opportunity to truly lead their crews through the training. With

the support of the division commander, McKinney was able to assist the NCOs of his

division to train individual soldiers and then hand off the qualified crews to the officers.

The officers , who had been preparing themselves for the “superbowl of tank gunnery,”

tank table XII, received prepared small units and the division crew qualification went

extremely well.

After two years with the 8th Division, McKinney was selected for the prestigious position of the Command Sergeant Major of the United States Army, Europe

(USAREUR), which commanded Army forc%s in the European Command. While

assi'ned as the USAREUR Command Sergeant Major the command shrank from 190,000

to 67,000 soldiers, however the number of deployments were on the rise as soldiers

being called to places like Macedonia, Rwanda and Somalia. McKinney toured all of

USAREUR to talk to soldiers and families about issues that concerned them and visited

soldiers in the field and deployed areas. He felt that showing concern for soldiers paid

large dividends. While receiving briefings on equipment he would ask the soldiers to

“tell me something about you” he felt that when you tell and show people how much you

care for them, they will not disappoint you. After three years at USAEUR, McKinney

competed for the position Sergeant Major of the Army (one of the candidates was his

brother James). The finalists were ordered to forces command headquarters to confer

with incoming Chief of Staff, General Dennis J. Remier. General Remier interviewed

him for over an hour, and then McKinney to Germany.

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A few days later General Reimer called and announced his congratulations and on 30

June 1995 McKinney was sworn in as the 10th Sergeant Major of the Army in the Chief of Staff’s private office at the Pentagon, the First ever African American to serve in such a prominent position in the enlisted ranks. As was the case with previous Sergeants

Major of the Army McKinney had a open door to General Reimer whenever he needed to see him. Reimer gave McKinney no specific guidance as to his duties. SMA

McKinney relied on the techniques that got him to his new position and that was to be himself and focus on taking care of soldiers. Late in 1996 the Army attracted public criticism for abuses at Army training centers by cadre and drill instructors, Secretary of the Army West responded to the Criticism with a promise to take a hard look at the entire initial training system, he formed an advisory panel and McKinney was selected to serve as a member of the task force, he visted , Maryland. There he spoke with almost 1,400 soldiers, trainees and senior noncommissioned officers, SMA

McKinney told the soldiers the system works…. But if the soldiers want to fix the problem, they must come forth not only for themselves, but for those who will come after he noted the soldiers had faith that the Army would do what was right in light of the allegations.

As the task force continued to explore the allegations of sexual misconduct, McKinney himself became a target. In February of 1997 a former aid accused him of making improper advances to her. The former aid charged that it was improper for McKinney to sit on a panel investigating sexual misconduct when he may well have been guilty of similar behavior. The aid accused him of having a conflict of interest. Under growing Draughn 10 pressure from Congress, General Reimer relieved McKinney of his duties a week later.

McKinney was assigned to the Military District of Washington (MDW) as he devoted much of his time working with lawyers on his case. The Army began an article 32 investigation of the charges against McKinney, during which time the investigation four female soldiers came forward to accuse him of sexual impropriety. In October the investigating panel cleared McKinney of charges of sexual impropriety but referred

McKinney’s case for court martial based on alleged improper behavior by McKinney during the investigation. General Reimer ordered McKinney reassigned which meant that McKinney was no longer the Sergeant Major of the Army. He was now a CSM again. The court found McKinney guilty of obstruction of justice and acquitted him on eighteen sexual misconduct related charges and convicted him. As punishment the Army reduced McKinney in rank to Master Sergeant. McKinney retired in September at his highest rank, in part due to the United States Code, which entitle the senior enlisted position of each service to receive retirement pay at the highest rate achieved.

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REFERENCES

Elder, D. K. (2001). The Sergeants Major of the Army www.army.mil/leaders/formerSMAs/bio/mckinneybio.htm