General Craig R. McKinley was born May 6, 1952 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was a USAF General who served as the 26th Chief, National Guard Bureau, serving from 2008 to 2012. He is the first officer from the National Guard to ever achieve the grade of a four-star general.

As the Chief, National Guard Bureau, General McKinley was the senior uniformed officer of the National Guard of the United States, and the state National Guard, responsible for formulating, developing and coordinating all policies, programs and plans affecting more than half a million federalized and nonfederalized Army National Guard and Air National Guard personnel.

Appointed by the President, he served as the principal adviser to the Secretary of the Army, Chief of Staff of the Army, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He also served as the principal National Guard adviser to Secretary of Defense through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on all National Guard issues.

As National Guard Bureau Chief, he served as the Army's and Air Force's official channel of communication with state governors and Adjutants General concerning state National Guards. General McKinley received his commission in 1974 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at Southern Methodist University. He has served in numerous assignments in flying and operations, as well as command positions at group, wing, sector and field operating agency levels.

He has also served as Commander, 1st Air Force (1 AF) and Commander, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Southeast Region, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.

General McKinley is a command pilot with over 4,000 flight hours, primarily in the T-38 Talon, F-106 Delta Dart, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-15 Eagle, C-131 Samaritan and C-130 Hercules Operational Support Airlift aircraft.

Among his military decorations are the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters; Air Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters; Air Force Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters; Combat Readiness Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters; and National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star.

He retired September 7, 2012.