John Rutherford Allen (born 15 December 1953) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general, and former commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A). On 13 September 2014, president Barack Obama appointed Allen as special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). He was succeeded in that role by Brett McGurk on 23 October 2015. He is the co-author of Turning Point: Policymaking in the Era of Artificial Intelligence with Darrell M. West (Brookings Institution Press, 2020) and Future War and the Defence of Europe alongside Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges and Professor Julian Lindley French (Oxford University Press, 2021). Allen was president of the Brookings Institution from October 2017 until his resignation on 12 June 2022.
Early life and education
Allen was born at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, on 15 December 1953; his father, Joseph K. Allen, was a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War who retired as a lieutenant commander. He attended Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia. He graduated with military honors from the U.S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1976, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Analysis. He is a 1998 Distinguished Graduate of the National War College. He holds a Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University, a Master of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Defense Intelligence College, and a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College of National Defense University.
Career
Following commissioning in 1976, Allen attended The Basic School and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, where he served as a platoon and rifle company commander. His next tour took him to Marine Barracks, 8th and I, Washington, D.C. where he served at the Marine Corps Institute and as a ceremonial officer.
Allen then attended the Postgraduate Intelligence Program of the Defense Intelligence College, where he was the Distinguished Graduate. He subsequently served as the Marine Corps Fellow to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He was the first Marine Corps officer inducted as a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Returning to the Fleet Marine Force in 1985, he commanded rifle and weapons companies and served as the operations officer of 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines. During this period he received the Leftwich Leadership Trophy. In 1988, Allen reported to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he taught in the Political Science Department and also served as the jump officer and jumpmaster of the academy. In 1990 he received the William P. Clements Award as military instructor of the year.
Allen reported to The Basic School as the director of the Infantry Officer Course from 1990 to 1992 and was subsequently selected by the Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellows Program, which provides "assignment to either a prominent national foreign policy/public policy research institution or to a national security studies program at a selected university". Allen has served as a special assistant on the staffs of the 30th Commandant of the Marine Corps and the commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development Command. In 1994, he served as the Division G-3 Operations Officer for the 2nd Marine Division and subsequently assumed command of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines; re-designated as 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines. This unit served with JTF-160 in Operation SEA SIGNAL during Caribbean contingency operations in 1994, and as part of the Landing Force of the 6th Fleet in Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR during Balkans contingency operations in 1995–1996.
Following battalion command, Allen reported as the senior aide-de-camp to the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, Charles C. Krulak, ultimately serving as his military secretary.
He commanded The Basic School from 1999 to 2001, when he was selected in April 2001 to return to the Naval Academy as the deputy commandant. Allen became the 79th Commandant of Midshipmen in January 2002, the first Marine Corps officer to serve in this position at the Naval Academy. In January 2003 Allen was nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general.
Allen's first tour as a general officer was as the principal director of Asian and Pacific Affairs in the Office of the United States Secretary of Defense, a position he occupied for nearly three years. From 2006 to 2008, Allen served as deputy commanding general of the II Marine Expeditionary Force and commanding general of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, deploying to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom 06–08, serving as the deputy commanding general of Multi-National Forces West and II MEF (Forward) in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. In January 2007 Allen was nominated for appointment to the grade of major general.
In June 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced Allen's nomination for promotion to the rank of lieutenant general. He served as the deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command from 15 July 2008 until 18 July 2011, at MacDill Air Force Base. On 30 June 2010, Allen temporarily commanded Central Command after General David Petraeus left to assume command of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. He served as acting commander until General James Mattis took command on August 11. Allen was promoted to general by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen prior to his assumption of command of ISAF, and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) on 18 July 2011.
Allen's foreign awards include the Mongolian Meritorious Service Medal, First Class; the Polish Army Medal in Gold; the Taiwan Order of the Resplendent Banner; the French Legion of Honor; the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic; Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia; and the Ghazi Mir Bacha Khan Medal.
On 6 March 2012, he received the Polish Afghanistan Star Medal from Polish President, Bronisław Komorowski.
On 20 April 2012, he received another Polish award, the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
In November 2012, he was investigated along with Jill Kelley. In response to the investigation, Secretary Panetta suspended his confirmation hearing for commander of EUCOM and requested the U.S. Congress to speed the confirmation of General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. to command of forces in Afghanistan. On 22 January 2013, Allen was cleared in a misconduct inquiry.
On 10 February 2013, Allen relinquished command of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) to General Dunford.
On 19 February 2013, U.S. President Obama accepted Allen's request to retire from the military as his wife fell seriously ill.
On 29 April 2013, Allen's retirement ceremony was held at the United States Naval Academy.
Post-military career
After leaving the military, Allen continued to work as an adviser to Secretary of State John Kerry and former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. In this capacity he worked closely with Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian interlocutors on the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plan.
On 12 June 2013, Allen joined the Brookings Institution as a distinguished fellow.
On 11 September 2014, the Obama Administration announced that Allen would coordinate international efforts against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. He was named as the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition against ISIL, a position he would hold for 15 months. Allen's diplomatic efforts increased the size of the coalition to 65 members.
On 23 October 2015, the White House announced his departure from the post. He officially departed that role on 12 November 2015, and was succeeded by Brett McGurk.
On 4 October 2017, Allen was named the seventh president of Brookings, succeeding Strobe Talbott.
Allen was a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council until his appointment expired on 31 August 2020.
In March 2022 he was reappointed to the Homeland Security Advisory Council by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas
Since 2019, he has also been serving on the Transatlantic Task Force of the German Marshall Fund and the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung (BKHS), co-chaired by Karen Donfried and Wolfgang Ischinger.
On 8 June 2022, Allen was placed on leave at the Brookings Institution amid a federal investigation into his alleged role in an illegal lobbying campaign on behalf of the wealthy Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. He had not been charged with a crime. He officially resigned from Brookings Institution on 12 June 2022, and executive vice president Ted Gayer was named acting president.
In January 2023, the Justice Department informed Allen that federal prosecutors closed the investigation into whether he secretly lobbied for the government of Qatar and that no criminal charges would be brought against him under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or any other law, based on, or as a result of, Allen's trip to Qatar in June 2017 or the government's investigation of those events.
Continued Leadership
In January, 2022, President Biden and the White House announced the appointment of General Allen to Board of Visitors of the United States Naval Academy, a position in which he continues to serve.
In March of that same year, General Allen was presented the Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA) of the United States Naval Academy, a prestigious award bestowed on four to five Naval Academy’s sixty thousand living alumni per year. The award recognizes exceptional military or civilian service to the country, and continued contributions to the Naval Academy and its mission. Part of General Allen’s recognition as a Distinguished Graduate stemmed from his being the first Marine Corps officer ever to serve as Commandant of Midshipmen at the Academy. Other recipients of the DGA include President Jimmy Carter, Senator John McCain, Astronauts James Lovell and Charles Bolden, and Roger Staubach.
In April 2023, Allen was inducted as a Senior Fellow at the Applied Physics Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins University, where his work has focused on matters of national security and technology.
In September of that year, General Allen was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The Academy is both an honorary society that recognizes and celebrates the excellence of its members and an independent research center convening leaders from across disciplines, professions, and perspectives to address significant challenges. The Academy honors excellence and leadership. Founded in 1780, the academy counts among its earliest members, George Washington, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.
General Allen is a Strategic Advisor to Microsoft where he serves on the Microsoft Advisory Council and the Technology and National Security Advisory Council.
He is the co-author of the book Turning Point: Policymaking in the Era of Artificial Intelligence alongside Dr. Darrell M. West (Brookings Press, 2020). He is also the co-author of Future War and the Defence of Europe alongside LTG (Ret.) Frederick “Ben” Hodges and Professor Dr. Julian Lindley French (Oxford University Press, 2021). Future War has been translated into German, Romanian, and, most recently, Ukrainian. He is one of the originators of the term “hyperwar”. As a co-inventor, Allen shares five AI related patents. He advises multiple tech start-ups. General Allen is a 2015 co-recipient of the Business Executive for National Security (BENS) Eisenhower Award. He is also a 2016 co-recipient of the Scholar-Statesman Award from The Washington Institute.
Political role
Allen was a featured speaker at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 27, 2016, on the topic of national security, and was later revealed to be on Clinton's list of possible picks for vice president. He criticized Republican nominee Donald Trump and endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.
FBI investigation
In June 2022, Allen's electronic data was reportedly seized in relation to potential illegal lobbying on behalf of the government of Qatar. The data was obtained via a warrant that was filed in April in a Federal District Court in Central California. Federal prosecutors obtained records that they believed indicated that Allen not only secretly lobbied for Qatar but also lied to investigators about his role and attempted to withhold evidence that was sought from him via a federally issued subpoena. In January 2023, the Justice Department informed Allen that federal prosecutors closed the investigation into whether he secretly lobbied for the government of Qatar and that no criminal charges would be brought against him under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or any other law, based on, or as a result of, Allen's trip to Qatar in June 2017 or the government's investigation of those events.
Awards and decorations
Allen's personal decorations include the following:
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Notes
- "Announcement of General John Allen as Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL". State Department. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- "Obama names Brett McGurk as envoy to coalition fighting Islamic State". Reuters. 23 October 2015.
- "Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, First Session, 112th Congress" (PDF). FAS Committee on Armed Services. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- "Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, First Session, 112th Congress" (PDF). FAS Committee on Armed Services. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- Whitlock, Craig (14 June 2011). "Low-key Marine, Gen. John R. Allen, to take over Afghan war at high-stakes time". Washington Post. Washington, DC.
- "MARINE CORPS ORDER 1520.28B" (PDF). marines.mil. Department of Defense. 22 October 1996. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- Gen. Allen reflects on his assignment at the USNA in In the Shadow of Greatness. Naval Institute Press, 2012, book authored by the UNSA Class of 2002.
- "General Officer Announcements and Assignments". DefenseLink (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. 2 January 2003. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- "General Officer Announcements". DefenseLink (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. 17 January 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- "Marine nominated for No. 2 CENTCOM post". Stars and Stripes. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- "General Officer Announcement – nomination of MajGen John R. Allen for appointment as the Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command". Marine Corps Gazette. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- "Lieutenant General John R. Allen, Deputy Commander". U.S. CENTCOM Leadership. CENTCOM. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- "Lt. Gen. Allen named CENTCOM acting commander". CENTCOM (Press release). U.S. Central Command. 30 June 2010. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
- "Mattis takes over Central Command, vows to work with Mideast allies in Afghanistan, Iraq". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 11 August 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- Mitchell, Robbyn (12 August 2010). "Mattis takes over as CentCom chief". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- "Mattis assumes command of CENTCOM". U.S. Central Command. 11 August 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- "General John R. Allen Assumes Command of ISAF". isaf.nato.int/article/isaf-releases/index.php. ISAF Headquarters Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- Spotkanie z polskimi żołnierzami w Afganistanie – last (8th) photo.
- Order dla gen. Johna Allena, dowódcy ISAF
- The Telegraph (London), "Gen John Allen investigated for 'inappropriate communications' to Jill Kelley", Hannah Furness, 8:01AM GMT November 13, 2012
- BBC News, "David Petraeus CIA scandal engulfs US Gen John Allen", November 13, 2012, Last updated at 05:26 ET
- Chandrasekaran, Rajiv (23 January 2013). "Gen. John Allen cleared in misconduct inquiry". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
- BBC News, "Afghan Isaf commander John Allen sees 'road to winning'", February 10, 2013
- Chandrasekaran, Rajiv (20 February 2013). "Gen. John Allen intends to retire, decline military's top post in Europe". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- "Gen. John Allen quietly retires from the Marine Corps". MarineTimes. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- Hudon, John (10 June 2013). "Gen. John Allen Joins Brookings".
- Michael R. Gordon (11 September 2014). "Retired Gen. John R. Allen in Line to Lead Effort vs. ISIS". NY Times. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- Storey, David (12 September 2014). "Former U.S. Afghanistan commander to lead effort against Islamic State". Reuters. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- "Gen. John Allen named as US envoy to anti-IS coalition". The Times of Israel. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- "Obama's Anti-ISIS Point Man Leaving as Russia Steps In". The New York Times. 23 October 2015.
- "John R. Allen named next Brookings Institution president". Brookings Institution. 4 October 2017.
- "Homeland Security Advisory Council Members". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- "John Allen". DHS. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- The German Marshall Fund and Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung Launch “Transatlantic Task Force” Setting Path Forward for U.S.-Europe Relations Archived December 14, 2019, at the Wayback Machine German Marshall Fund, press release of December 12, 2019.
- Suderman, Alan; Mustian, Jim (8 June 2022). "Brookings places retired general on leave amid FBI probe".
- Kirkpatrick, David D. (12 June 2022). "John R. Allen Resigns as Brookings President After Qatar Revelations". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
- Thebault, Reis; Kitchener, Caroline; Horton, Alex (12 June 2022). "Retired general resigns as head of Brookings amid federal probe". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- Taylor, Andrew (18 October 2016). "WikiLeaks releases Clinton's initial list of running mates". PBS NewsHour.
Another group of possibilities that appeared to represent "outside-the-box" options included former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Tim Cook of Apple, philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates, Howard Schultz of Starbucks and retired Marine Corps Gen. John Allen.
- "4-Star General Delivers Forceful Case For Clinton At DNC". 28 July 2016.
- Suderman, Alan; Mustian, Jim (7 June 2022). "FBI seizes retired general's data related to Qatar lobbying".
- Mazzetti, Mark; Kirkpatrick, David D. (8 June 2022). "Retired General Investigated Over Undisclosed Lobbying for Qatar". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- Mazzetti, Mark; Entous, Adam (30 January 2023). "Justice Dept. Drops Investigation of Retired U.S. General". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- "General John R. Allen, USMC (Ret.)". LEADERSHIP > CONFERENCE > ARCHIVE > 2014. United States Naval Academy. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
- "John R. Allen". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
- Brady CVO, Stephen (14 April 2014). "Honorary Appointment within the Order of Australia" (PDF). Governor General of Australia. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
- "CEMA : visite du CEMA en Afghanistan à l'occasion de Noël". Ministère des Armées. 26 December 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
- "Home onorificenze dettaglio decorato Allen Gen. John R." quirinale.it (in Italian). Retrieved 3 July 2017.
- ^ "General John R. Allen Former Commander, International Security Assistance Force, and Commander, United States Forces-Afghanistan". US Department of Defense Home > About > Biographies. US Department of Defense. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
- "POSTANOWIENIE PREZYDENTA RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ POLSKIEJ z dnia 18 kwietnia 2012 r." MONITOR POLSKI (in Polish). Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. 18 April 2012. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
- Campbell, SSgt April (5 March 2012). "Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, left, awards Poland's Afghanistan Star Medal to International Security Assistance Force commander Gen. John R. Allen at ISAF Headquarters, March 6". ISAF Media. US Army. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
References
- This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.
- "Official Biography: Lieutenant General John R. Allen, acting Commander, U. S. Central Command". Biographies: General Officers & Senior Executives. Manpower & Reserve Affairs, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
External links
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- John R. Allen on Charlie Rose
- John R. Allen at IMDb
- John R. Allen collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- Profile: Gen John R Allen at BBC News
- General John R. Allen, USMC (Ret.)'s presentation at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library on June 4, 2014
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded bySamuel J. Locklear | Commandant of Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy 2002–2003 |
Succeeded byCharles J. Leidig |
| Preceded byMartin Dempsey | Deputy Commander of the United States Central Command 2008–2011 |
Succeeded byRobert Harward |
| Preceded byDavid Petraeus | Commander of United States Central Command Acting 2010 |
Succeeded byJames Mattis |
| Commander of the International Security Assistance Force 2011–2013 |
Succeeded byJoseph Dunford | |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| New office | Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 2014–2015 |
Succeeded byBrett McGurk |
| Non-profit organization positions | ||
| Preceded byStrobe Talbott | President of the Brookings Institution 2017–2022 |
Succeeded byTed Gayer Acting |
- 1953 births
- Commanders of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- Commanders of the Legion of Honour
- Honorary officers of the Order of Australia
- Living people
- People from Fort Belvoir, Virginia
- Petraeus scandal
- Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
- Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
- Recipients of the Leftwich Trophy
- Recipients of the Legion of Merit
- Recipients of the NATO Meritorious Service Medal
- Recipients of the Polish Army Medal
- United States Marine Corps generals
- United States Naval Academy alumni
- United States Special Envoys
- Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni
- National Intelligence University alumni
- National War College alumni
- The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
- Brookings Institution people
- Recipients of the Ghazi Mir Bacha Khan Medal