Gene C. McKinney was the 10th sergeant major of the army (SMA) of the United States, serving from July 1995 to October 1997. He was the first and to date the only African American to reach that rank in the United States Army. In 1998, he was court martialed on a variety of charges including sexual harassment and obstruction of justice. He was convicted of the obstruction of justice charge and demoted to the rank of master sergeant.