AFBA and 5Star Life Announce the Appointment of General Craig R. McKinley, USAF (Ret.) to 5Star Life Board

Business Wire

McKinley’s career of service speaks to the enterprise’s key markets

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) and its affiliate, 5Star Life Insurance Company, announced today the appointment of Gen. Craig R. McKinley, USAF (Ret.) to the 5Star Life board of directors, effective December 1, 2019.

“We are pleased to welcome Craig McKinley to the 5Star Life board of directors. His commitment to our country’s military servicemembers and first responders is unparalleled, and he will help guide our efforts to serve all those who serve this great nation,” said General Ed Eberhart, USAF (Ret.), Chairman and President of AFBA and Chairman of 5Star Life.

Mark Singleton, President of 5Star Life, added, “We never lose sight of our goal – to ensure we remain relevant as an organization, so we can serve and protect future generations of servicemembers, first responders, and civilians serving our country. With General McKinley on the board, that focus will continue.”

McKinley retired as a four-star general in 2012 after a long and honorable 38-year career in the Air Force. His last assignment was as the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, where he also served as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he was a military adviser to the President, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council and was the Department of Defense’s official channel of communication to the Governors and to State Adjutants General on all matters pertaining to the National Guard. After his distinguished military career, McKinley served for more than two years as President of the Air Force Association, and later went on to serve for a two-year term as President and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). On July 1, 2017 he was appointed, and still serves, as National Chair of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. He lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife Cheryl.

“I am pleased to join the 5Star Life Board of Directors and look forward to working with the leadership team to proudly serve our servicemembers, first responders, civilians, and their families,” said General McKinley.

About Armed Forces Benefit Association

With the support of the General of the Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) was established in 1947 in the basement of the Pentagon to ease the strain on military members and their families who, at the time, could not purchase life insurance that would pay a death benefit if the member was killed in combat. Today, headquartered in Alexandria, VA, AFBA continues to honor its mission, in war and peace, promoting the welfare of its members providing death benefits and other benefits to those who serve this great nation, including members of the uniformed services, first responders, government employees, and their families. AFBA has 650,000 members with $40 billion of death benefits in force and has paid nearly $2 billion of death benefits since inception. AFBA death benefits are underwritten by its affiliate, 5Star Life Insurance Company (a Lincoln, Nebraska domiciled company).

About 5Star Life

5Star Life Insurance Company (5Star Life) is the primary underwriter of the Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) member policies. In addition, it extends the enterprise’s mission to civilians serving our country in the workplace. As a growing provider of group and worksite voluntary products, 5Star Life serves a diverse clientele as an insurance provider to individuals and organizations and as a trusted advisor to brokers. Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, 5Star Life is currently licensed in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.