LTC McKinley Wood ’01 to Receive Nininger Award
West Point, NY: The West Point Association of Graduates is pleased to announce that Lieutenant Colonel (USAR) McKinley Wood, Class of 2001, has been selected to receive the 2023 Alexander R. Nininger Award for Valor at Arms, which will be presented on October 26, 2023, at West Point, New York.
Between April 6-7, 2003, then First Lieutenant Wood displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as the leader of 3rd Platoon, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to the citation for the Silver Star he received for his actions on these dates, “With complete disregard for his own personal safety, First Lieutenant Wood repeatedly exposed himself to intense and accurate enemy fire while directing his platoon’s fires and maneuver…His heroic efforts resulted in the destruction of numerous enemy tanks, APCs, and RPG teams during the attack to isolate Baghdad.”
In addition to his Silver Star, Wood’s military awards include the Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Action Badge, Meritorious Service Medals, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Army Reserve Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the 69th Armor Regiment Affiliation.
Wood holds primary and advanced degrees in engineering and project management, respectively. His military education includes the Armor Officer Basic Course, Scout Leader Course, Maneuver Captain Career Course, Army Ground Safety Officer Course, Master Resiliency Trainer Course, Intermediate Level Education Common Core, Advanced Operations Course, Inspector General Basic Course, and Defense Strategy Course. As an active-duty officer, Wood was deployed to the Middle East three times and served as a tank platoon leader, company executive officer, and battalion maintenance officer. With the National Guard, Wood served as a brigade liaison and fire support officer. Finally, as a Reservist, Wood served as assistant G3, Army School System Commandant (80th Training Command,) command safety officer, transportation battalion executive officer, and detailed inspector general.
Wood is a Fellow of the Georgetown Washington School of Foreign Service (Diplomacy), and he recently served as the battalion commander of 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment providing weapons, tactical employment of crew-served weapons, and physical confidence training to the United States Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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