-
LTC Allen West (Ret.)Meet Allen: what he stands for, and his vision for Texas and the Nation!
Early Life
Education
West holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and two Masters, one from Kansas State University and another from the US Army Command and General Staff Officers College.
Career
He was then assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, where he commanded Bravo Battery, 6th Field Artillery Regiment and was a Battalion Task Force fire support officer for 2d Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment. While with the 1st Infantry Division, he participated in Operations Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
After redeployment from Kuwait, West served as an ROTC instructor at Kansas State University from 1991 to 1994. In January 1995, he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division Support Command as the Assistant Operations/Combat Plans Officer. During that time, West was promoted to Major and selected for attendance to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and graduated in 1997. Afterward, he became the Operations Officer of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade (Airborne), followed by assignment as the Executive Officer of the 1st Battalion (Air Assault), 377th Field Artillery Regiment. Upon completion of these positions, West was assigned to the II Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune, and selected to serve as an Army exchange officer to this headquarters from 1999 to 2002.
West’s culminating assignment to his career was as Battalion Commander of the 2d Battalion 20th Field Artillery, 4th Infantry Division. He assumed command of this unit on June 6, 2002. He deployed with his unit during the Iraq War in 2003 and continued to command his battalion until his retirement from the Army in 2004 after 22 years of honorable service in defense of the Republic.
Awards
Post-Military Career
In November of 2010, Allen was honored to continue his oath of service to his country when he was elected to the United States Congress, representing Florida’s 22nd District. As a member of the 112th Congress, West introduced seven major pieces of legislation, and was the original sponsor of H. R. 1246 which reduces costs at the Department of Defense, was passed unanimously (393-0), and signed into law by President Obama as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
Congressman West voted for the Balanced Budget Amendment and voted for over 30 different bills designed to empower small businesses, reduce government barriers to job creation, boost American competitiveness, encourage entrepreneurship and growth, and maximize American energy production.
West is a commissioned officer in the Texas State Guard. He is a Fox News Contributor, Senior Fellow of the Media Research Center, a contributing columnist for Townhall, and author of Guardian of the Republic: An American Ronin’s Journey to Family, Faith and Freedom. His most recent book, Hold Texas, Hold the Nation: Victory or Death, was released in the fall of 2018 by Brown Books Publishing Group. West pens an almost daily column on his personal website called The Old School Patriot.
He is the former Executive Director of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas Texas and the former Director of the Booker T. Washington Initiative at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Personal Life
Lt. Col. West is a legacy life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, life member of the American Legion, life member of the Association of the United States Army and the Society of the First Infantry Division, Patriot Life Member (Benefactor) and Board of Directors member of the National Rifle Association. Lieutenant Colonel West is an inductee into the University of Tennessee Army ROTC Hall of Fame.
He is on the Board of Advisors of Amegy Bank, Dallas Region. In 2016, Lt. Col. West was appointed by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. He is married to Dr. Angela Graham-West, a financial adviser, and they have two daughters, Aubrey, who graduated with her Masters from Southern Methodist University, and is a Board-certified Physician Assistant, and youngest daughter, Austen, who recently received her Bachelor’s Degree, and is an airline attendant.