WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5) Marvin R. McKenney, Jr., VNG, Ret., a distinguished and dedicated public servant and hero, retired in May 2024 after an extraordinary career spanning 39 years and eight months, which culminated in his role as the state aviation standardization officer in the Virginia National Guard; and

WHEREAS, Marvin "Bubba" McKenney was born and raised in Highland Springs, where he developed a strong sense of community and duty that would guide him throughout his remarkable career; and

WHEREAS, Marvin McKenney began his illustrious military career by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in September 1985, undergoing boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, and graduating in the spring of 1986; and

WHEREAS, demonstrating exceptional skill and dedication, Marvin McKenney graduated from flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, in January 1994 and later earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautics from Liberty University in 2014, graduating magna cum laude; and

WHEREAS, over his career, Marvin McKenney served with distinction as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter standardization instructor pilot and instrument examiner and a UH-72 Lakota helicopter standardization instructor pilot and instrument examiner, qualifying in multiple aircraft including the UH-1 Iroquois, the UH-60A, UH-60L, and UH-60M Blackhawks, and the UH-72 Lakota; and

WHEREAS, Marvin McKenney's contingency and wartime service included deployments to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of Stabilization Force (SFOR) 10 from August 2001 to April 2002, Operation Iraqi Freedom in Al Asad, Iraq, from January 2006 to February 2007, and Operation Inherent Resolve in Taji, Iraq, from June 2016 to March 2017; and

WHEREAS, Marvin McKenney has been recognized with numerous awards and decorations for his exemplary service, including the Master Aviator Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; and

WHEREAS, Marvin McKenney has accrued an impressive total of 5,825 military rotary-wing flight hours, including 873 combat hours and 1,786 hours flown using night vision goggles; and

WHEREAS, Marvin McKenney's unwavering commitment to excellence and his outstanding leadership have made a significant and lasting impact on the United States military and the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Marvin McKenney will be retiring from the Virginia National Guard after 34 years, marking the end of a remarkable and honorable career in military service; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5) Marvin R. McKenney, Jr., VNG, Ret., hereby be commended for his remarkable contributions, exemplary service, and steadfast dedication to the United States and the Commonwealth; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5) Marvin R. McKenney, Jr., VNG, Ret., as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration for his outstanding service and contributions.