Command Sgt. Maj. John Allen is a native of Benton Harbor, Michigan and enlisted in the United States Army on May 02, 2002, as a 95B Military Police Officer. Allen attended One Station Unit Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.
Allen served as a Gunner, Team Leader, and Internment Block NCO as a Military Police Officer before being assigned as a Recruiter in September 2006. After reclassing his military occupation specialty to 79R Army Recruiter in 2008, he served as a Recruiter Team Leader, Assistant Center Commander, Center Commander, Special Missions Team Leader, First Sergeant, Operations Sergeant, and Operations Sergeant Major.
Allen’s previous assignments include the 977th Military Police Company, Fort Riley, KS, Battle Creek Recruiting Company, Great Lakes Recruiting Battalion, Manhattan Recruiting Company, Kansas City Recruiting Battalion, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, NC, Albany Recruiting Battalion, and Raleigh Recruiting Battalion. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom twice for combat and peacekeeping operations.
Allen’s military education includes the Warrior Leaders Course, Airborne School, Army Recruiter Course, Military Police Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Station Commander Course, Combatives Level 1, Recruiting Senior Leaders Course, Combat Skills Course, SERE 400, Airborne Jumpmaster School, Recruiting Command First Sergeants Course, the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, Class 71, and the Battalion Pre-Command Course. Allen’s civilian education includes a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership with Magna Cum Laude honors from Columbia Southern University and a Master of Public Administration in Government and Policy from Grand Canyon University.
Allen’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal seventh award, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Medal with numerical device 5, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Navy Presidential Unit Citation, Gold Recruiting Badge with three sapphires, Combat Action Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Drivers Badge, Canadian Parachutist Wings, Latvian Parachutist Badge, and Swedish Airborne Jump Wings (Bronze). Allen is also a recipient of the Recruiting Ring and the Glen E. Morrell Award for Recruiting Excellence.