Col. Matthew J. McKinney was commissioned in the Marine Corps via the Platoon Leaders Combined Course in August 1999 and graduated from The Basic School and Landing Force Logistics Officers Course in 2000. 

His operational assignments include 1st Battalion, 7th Marines; 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company; 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion; Marine Special Operations Command; United States Special Operations Command; Special Operations Command (Forward) Pakistan; and the 24th & 26th Marine Expeditionary units. McKinney has commanded from the platoon to the regiment level, including Combat Logistics Battalion 26 and Combat Logistics Regiment 2.

His staff assignments include the School of Infantry East, U.S. SOCOM, Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., Combat Logistics Regiment 2 and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.  McKinney has deployed multiple times throughout the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Africa and Middle East, including combat deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He has also undergone at-sea deployments aboard Navy amphibious ships USS Iwo Jima, USS New York and USS Oak Hill.

McKinney is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School (non-resident, 2002), U.S. Army Airborne School (2006), Army Combined Logistics Captains Career Course (2008), Marine Corps Command & Staff College (non-resident, 2012), University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School LOGTECH Course (2013), Air Command & Staff College (2014) and Air War College (2020).

He began serving as the chief operations officer and contracting officer representative at the Capability Prototypes Office under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering in May 2021. He assumed command of Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany on June 29, 2023, succeeding Col. Michael J. Fitzgerald.