John R. Allen

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Distinguished Fellow , Foreign Policy
Portrait: John Allen

General John R. Allen, USMC (Ret.) is a distinguished fellow in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. Allen retired from the Marine Corps after nearly 38 years of commissioned service. His final tours on active duty were as commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan; as deputy commander of the U.S Central Command; and as deputy commander of Multinational Force, West in the Al Anbar Province in Iraq. | View Full Bio

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Contact

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202.797.4396 — Gail Chalef, Director of Communications, Foreign Policy

202.797.6103 — Foreign Policy Program

Resources

Experience

Current Positions

  • Senior Fellow, Center for Naval Analysis
  • Member, Board of Advisors, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
  • Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense on matters of security in the Middle East

Past Positions

  • Commander, NATO International Security Assistance Force and Commander, U.S. Forces in Afghanistan (2011-2013)
  • Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command (2008-2011)
  • Commanding General, 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and Deputy Commander, II Marine Expeditionary Force and Multinational Force – West (Al Anbar Province, Iraq, 2006-2008)
  • Principal Director, Asia and Pacific policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense (2003-2006)
  • Commandant of Midshipmen, U.S. Naval Academy (2001-2003)

Education

  • M.S. National Defense University National Security Strategy (1997)

  • M.S. Defense Intelligence College Strategic Intelligence (1984)
  • M.A. Georgetown University National Security Studies (1983)
  • B.S. U.S. Naval Academy Operations Analysis (1976)

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