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Michael Linnington

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Michael Linnington (born 1958, Cape May, New Jersey[3]) is the former CEO of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and a retired United States Army Lieutenant General.[4][5] He has more than 35 years of military experience and was the first permanent Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA).[6]

Michael Linnington
Michael Linnington
Other name(s)Michael S. Linnington
Born1958
Cape May, New Jersey, United States
Allegiance United States of America
Branch United States Army
Service years1980-2015
RankLieutenant General
Known forWounded Warrior Project
AwardsExpert Infantryman's Badge[1]
Combat Infantryman's Badge[1]
Bronze Star Medal[2]
Legion of Merit[2]
Distinguished Service Medal[2]
Alma materU.S. Military Academy at West Point, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, National War College

Throughout his 35-year military career, Linnington has served as a Military Deputy to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, was the Commanding General of the Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region,[7] the Deputy Commanding General at Fort Benning, GA, Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Policy for the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Kabul, Afghanistan.[1]

Linnington graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1980[2][8] and holds master’s degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the National War College.[1]

Early life and education

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Linnington was born in Cape May, New Jersey[3] and grew up in the Villas section of the Lower Township, New Jersey. He grew up with five brothers and went to military high school and military college. He attended the former St. Raymond's Roman Catholic School while working in a local restaurant and nearby Citgo gas station.[2] He then graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in 1976.[1]

In 1980, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he met his wife Brenda, who also graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1981.[2][8] He has master's degrees in Applied Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and in National Security Strategy from the National War College.[1]

Military career

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Linnington with Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, Nawa, Afghanistan, Nov. 11, 2010

Michael Linnington is a military veteran with a 35-year career in the United States Army. Linnington is airborne, air assault, and ranger qualified. Throughout his career, he held a variety of command and staff positions in various locations around the world.

He was Deputy Commanding General[1] in command of 75,000 troops at Fort Benning, Georgia from 2007-2008.[2] In 2007, he was promoted to Brigadier General[2] and began a new role as commandant of Cadets at West Point[2][1] in May 2008.[8]

In 2009, Linnington testified to a U.S. Senate subcommittee on military suicides and prevention efforts at West Point.[9]

Linnington fought in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.[2] While in Afghanistan, he commanded the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division,[2][1] also known as the Rakkasans.[10]

Linnington led 1,500 vehicles in his convoy, and about 5,000 troops in the brigade. In 2009, he returned to Kabul, Afghanistan as Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Policy for the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command.[1]

Linnington fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq[2] and served directly under Gen. David H. Petraeus.[2]

Linnington served as Commanding General of the Military District of Washington/Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region from 2011-2013.[1]

 
Linnington with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, Washington, D.C., May 28, 2012

During his time as Commanding General, Linnington made a number of appearances in Washington, D.C. He walked with US President Barack Obama to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate Veterans Day on November 11, 2011.[11] On November 12, 2011, Linnington hosted the ceremony for the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln's Grand Review at Fort McNair Parade Field, Washington, DC.[12] In 2013, Linnington headed the task force for President Obama's second inauguration.[7][2]

Linnington served as Military Deputy to the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness)[1] from 2013 to 2015.[13]

Awards

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Post-military career

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Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)

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In 2014, two organizations, the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command were merged into the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). Its mission was to account for missing personnel to their families and provide accurate and timely details of their story. Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Michael S. Linnington was its first permanent director.[6][14][1] When Linnington took over, his priorities were to continue the mission during reorganization without disrupting field operations, finish reorganization of conflict accounting, streamline and modernize operations and communications, improve communications to stakeholders, and expand partnerships.[15]

During his time as director, the agency nearly doubled identification of missing service members.[16]

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)

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Further information: Wounded Warrior Project

On July 18, 2016, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Michael S. Linnington was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Wounded Warrior Project,[1] a nonprofit veterans service organization providing programs for veterans injured in service on or after 9/11.[17] He told a reporter he felt compelled to lead WWP after he observed the organization began suffering due to a media scandal in 2016.[18] The allegations of the scandal were later disproved by several audits and investigations held by third parties, including the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. Media coverage resulted in a severe drop in donations and revenue.[19] As a result, Linnington's first actions were focused on reducing costs while maximizing impact from veterans programs,[18] including a pay cut from the previous WWP CEO salary.[20]

On March 9, 2017, Linnington testified to Congress about veterans healthcare needs highlighting four major areas:[21][22][23]

  1. Collaboration between government and nonprofits
  2. Improving care for veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  3. Improving health insurance for severely injured veterans
  4. Extending In Vitro Fertilization benefits provided by the VA

On February 5, 2019, Linnington announced to ABC/NBC-owned First Coast News that WWP has "turned the corner" and is doing more with less resources. "We are serving more warriors today than ever before in impactful ways that change their lives."[24]

In April 2022, Linnington lobbied for H.R. 3967 (Honoring our PACT Act of 2022), a bill to provide healthcare and resources to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service.[25]

In March 2023, Linnington was named the Grand Marshal of the New York Veterans Day Parade. As the Grand Marshal, Linnington will lead over 20,000 people up Fifth Avenue on November 11, 2023.[26]

Linnington also saw the number of peer support group leaders rise to hundreds leading events in their communities as volunteers. He saw the organization shift its focus to provide long-term financial aid for wounded veterans, emotional support for families, career guidance, and social events across the U.S.[27]

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael S. Linnington.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p tbrennan (2016-01-12). "Lieutenant General Michael Linnington USA (Ret.) '76". Valley Forge Military Academy and College. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Degener, Richard. "Major general from Lower Township heads task force providing military support for Obama's inauguration". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
  3. ^ a b The United States Army | Military District of Washington
  4. ^ LeDoux, Julia (2023-08-14). "Wounded Warrior Project CEO, Army veteran will retire in Jan. 2024". audacy.com. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  5. ^ Perez, Zamone (2023-08-09). "Wounded Warrior head set to retire in early 2024". Marine Corps Times. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  6. ^ a b "DPAA Director Michael Linnington". HistoryNet. 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
  7. ^ a b "Military maps out Obama inauguration security". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
  8. ^ a b c "Linningtin returns to West Point". Ledger-Enquirer. 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  9. ^ "Military Suicides". C-SPAN. 2009-03-18. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  10. ^ "Operations in Iraq". C-SPAN. 2003-08-08. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  11. ^ "President Barack Obama Walks With Gen. Michael Linnington". The White House. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  12. ^ "150th Anniversary of President Lincoln's Grand Review". C-SPAN. 2011-11-12. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  13. ^ "GKCCF Nonprofit Search". gkccf.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  14. ^ "Pentagon names 1st permanent director of new POW/MIA accounting agency". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  15. ^ Temin, Tom (2015-08-24). "Lt. Gen. Michael Linnington: Updating the POW-MIA Accounting Agency's mission". Federal News Network. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  16. ^ "Wounded Warrior Project Is Getting a New CEO". Fortune. 2016-07-17. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  17. ^ Bauerlein, David (2018-04-23). "Wounded Warrior Project reports another down year for donations, but sees a rebound". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  18. ^ a b Gardner, Lynnsey (2016-09-02). "UNCUT: Wounded Warrior Project CEO Mike Linnington's interview with I-TEAM". News 4 Jax. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  19. ^ Cahn, Dianna (2017-05-08). "Wounded Warrior Project donations drop $70 million, but CEO says charity is on the rebound". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  20. ^ Wax-Thibodeaux, Emily (2017-02-08). "Wounded Warrior Project cleared of 'spending lavishly,' report finds". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  21. ^ "United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs". www.veterans.senate.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  22. ^ "Wounded Warrior Project CEO Meets with Congress". Wounded Warrior Project Newsroom. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  23. ^ "Global Health & Pharma - Wounded Warrior Project CEO". www.ghp-news.com. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  24. ^ Amaro, Kenneth (2019-02-05). "Wounded Warrior Project has 'turned the corner'; Soldier Ride planned for weekend team building". First Coast News. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  25. ^ Hatcher, Aleesia; Frazier, Francine (2022-04-20). "Wounded Warrior Project lobbies for bill to help veterans exposed to toxins while serving". WJXT. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  26. ^ "Veteran and Wounded Warrior Project CEO Mike Linnington named Grand Marshal of 2023 New York Veterans Day Parade". ABC7 New York. 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  27. ^ Shane III, Leo (2024-03-25). "Outgoing WWP leader sees continued strain on vets, but more support". Military Times. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
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