Thursday, 09 November 2023 02:00 PM
Awards
WEST POINT, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 9, 2023 / On October 25, the West Point Association of Graduates presented the 2023 Alexander R. Nininger Award for Valor at Arms to Lieutenant Colonel McKinley Wood, a U.S. Army Reserve officer from the USMA Class of 2001.
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 his address to the Corps of Cadets upon receiving the Nininger Award, Wood, a self-proclaimed mediocre cadet, emphasized his "I will never quit" and "I don't know how to quit" attitude to get through West Point and face all his life's obstacles.
"I would challenge everyone in the Corps today to try and define what quitting means to them at a deeply personal level," Wood said during the conclusion of his acceptance speech: "If you are not able to come up with an answer quickly, you might be the type of person who does not know what quitting is; if you are able to define it, don't worry, you have defined the problem set and found half the solution."
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 campaign stars, 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 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.
About the Nininger Award
The Nininger Award is named in recognition of the heroic actions of Second Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger, USMA Class of 1941. After commissioning, Nininger was sent to the Philippines attached to the 57th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts. During the first month of the Japanese invasion, he voluntarily joined another company because his unit was not yet engaged in combat. Nininger was posthumously awarded the first Medal of Honor in World War II for actions near Abucay, Bataan on January 12, 1942. The Alexander R. Nininger Award for Valor at Arms is funded by a generous endowment from E. Doug Kenna '45 and his wife, Jean, and the West Point Association of Graduates regards the recipient of a given year's award as the annual representative of all West Point-commissioned officers who have heroically led soldiers in combat. For more information see https://www.westpointaog.org/traditions/wpaog-awards/alexander-r-nininger-award/
About the West Point Association of Graduates
The West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG) is among America's oldest educational alumni associations. Founded in 1869, the Association was established "to cherish the memories of [its] Alma Mater, and to promote the social intercourse and fraternal fellowship of its graduates," many of whom had recently fought against each other in the Civil War. WPAOG has evolved into a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation dedicated to furthering the ideals and promoting the welfare of West Point, and to serving and supporting the nearly 56,000 living West Point graduates. Its philanthropic pursuits maintain a Margin of Excellence for cadets attending the United States Military Academy. For more information see www.WestPointAOG.org.
About West Point
The U. S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as the world's premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission remains constant-to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army. For more information, visit www.westpoint.edu.
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Jaye Donaldson
VP, Communications & Marketing
WPAOG
698 Mills Rd.
West Point, NY 10996
845-446-1512
SOURCE: West Point Association of Graduates