Political Quotes

“next month, a distinguished member of our Armed Forces will retire. I want to recognize and congratulate GEN Craig McKinley, who has spent the last 38 years in service to our country, and who has led the National Guard through a unique period of challenge, change, and triumph. General McKinley's service began during another period of dramatic change. He received his commission as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at Southern Methodist University and entered undergraduate pilot training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia in 1974. With the conclusion of military engagement in Vietnam, the nation's military leaders faced a number of questions, including the future role of the National Guard. These same questions would later guide General McKinley's efforts to lead the National Guard toward its current role as an operational force. General McKinley has had a distinguished career, including assignments as an instructor pilot, the commander of the 125th Fighter Wing, the commander of the 1st Air Force, and the commander of the Continental United States Region of the North American Aerospace Defense Command. He served in the U.S. European Command and as Director of the Air National Guard. These assignments culminated in General McKinley earning his fourth star as Chief of the National Guard Bureau. He did all of this while logging over 4,000 flying hours in a wide range of aircraft and earning the rating of command pilot.…”