Lieutenant Colonel Robert D. Allen

VT-3, VT-23, VT-21. January 85 – January 86. Undergraduate pilot training. Commodore’s List for academic and practical training excellence for primary stage and both stages of jet training. Selected VT-3, VT-23, and VT-21 Student of the month and quarter. “Top Hook” for CQ phase of basic and advanced jet flight training. Received 5 E’s for excellence during air-to-ground weapons training. Number one graduate amongst all jet graduates detailed in January 1986. 

VF-101, April 86 – November 86. F-14 replacement training. Awarded “Top Stick” honors as number one pilot graduate from class 04-86 for excellence in academic and practical flight training performance. 

VF-41, November 86 – October 89. Operational tour. Completed two Mediterranean deployments and one North Atlantic deployment. Selected to attend Naval Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun). Squadron Landing Safety Officer, squadron Pilot and RIO Training Officer, NATOPS Officer, and served in branch and division maintenance officer positions. Squadron nominee as COMFITWINGLANT Fighter Pilot of the Year, 1989. As squadron Public Affairs Officer, negotiated squadron representation in Smithsonian Air and Space Museum carrier aviation exhibit and assisted museum personnel in the design of squadron ready room exhibit.  

VX-4, October 89 – December 90. Operational Test Pilot, F-14 and F/A-18. Operational Test Director for AIM-9 and AIM-7 missile systems for both F/A-18 and F-14 aircraft. Lead project officer for the combined operational and developmental testing of the AIM-9M-4 and AIM-9M-6 missile improvements. Coordinated an extensive captive carry and live fire test program on the AIM-9M-4 and AIM-9M-6 between Navy and Air Force test agencies at NAS Pt. Mugu, NAS China Lake, 57th Test Wing at Nellis AFB, and Tyndal AFB. The testing and final report was completed in time to enable both missiles to be available for use during Operation Desert Storm.

One of six primary Operational Test Pilots for initial Operational Evaluation of the F-14D. Served as test Landing Safety Officer and Detachment Officer-in-Charge during the F-14D carrier based Operational Evaluation.

Produced promotional video for use during Squadron briefings and fleet liaison. Coordinated with Grumman Aircraft Corporation and flew two flights of an F-14D with a Learjet camera aircraft to obtain airborne footage of the F-14D. 

U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, January 91 – December 91. Student Naval Test Pilot. Reported on the performance and flying qualities of the Mirage 2000 for the DT-II final project. 

Strike Aircraft Test Directorate, January 92- October 93. Developmental/Research Test Pilot, F-14 and F/A-18. Performed research on the wing-tip vortices of KC-135 aircraft in order to determine the feasibility of a wingtip mounted probe/drogue refueling system. Participated in the initial catapult and arresting gear certification of USS George Washington (CVN-73). Project pilot for the carrier certification of F-14D air-to-ground munitions. Project pilot for the weapon separation testing of air-to-ground munitions from the F-14A and F-14D.

Test Directorate Safety Officer. Graduated Naval Safety Officer School. Reviewed 82 test plans for safety violations and participated in command review boards of each test plan submitted. 

Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, October 93 – April 94. Aide to the Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division. Coordinated complex flag calendar. Organized and executed critical tour of Patuxent River Naval Air Station during BRAC 94. Worked with the Commander’s entire staff to formulate detailed plans for the base tour that displayed Pax River’s capabilities in the testing of naval aircraft. Personally briefed the vice service chiefs on the installed catapult and arresting gear systems at Pax River. Assisted in preparation of the Commander’s brief on overall capabilities of Pax River as a flight test facility. Maintained all test qualifications and continued to fly test missions for F-14 and F/A-18 program offices. 

VF-84, April 94 – November 95. Operational Fighter Pilot. Participated in Green Flag 95 where the F-14 was utilized for the first time in the Strike Fighter role during a flag exercise. Completed the first ever deployment of the F-14 to MCAF Twenty-Nine Palms as part of Combined Arms Exercise 03-95; operating out of a temporary airfield while providing close air support with live air-to-ground munitions to Marine troops.

Squadron Safety Officer. Investigated Class A mishap. Investigation revealed depot level manufacturing malpractice with the TF-30 engine that was not detected by intermediate level maintenance. Recommendations were accepted to change depot level practices and institute new intermediate level engine checks to ensure quality depot level maintenance. 

Sixth Allied Tactical Air Force Staff, NATO, January 96 – March 97. Exercise project officer. Formulated plans for execution of the Southern Region’s first Computer Assisted Exercise in over 3 years. Determined staff needs for all aspects of the exercise from manning to hardware and communication requirements. Developed plans for the first staff deployment to the underground wartime headquarters in over three years.

Primary member of Strategy, Guidance, and Targeting (STRAT/GAT) planning cell during two live-fly exercises in the Southern Region. Assistant cell chief during the first exercise, and cell chief during the second exercise.

Deployed to Sarajevo, Bosnia in support of Operation Decisive Endeavor, June 86 to September 86. Served as Deputy Director, Air Operations Coordination Center supervising the daily operations of close air support missions over Bosnia. Additional duties as assistant Air South Liaison Officer to the ground component commander, the Ace Rapid Reaction Corps. Served as liaison officer between Air South and both civil and military former warring faction aviation authorities to coordinate, deconflict, and authorize flying activities. 

Naval Aviation Depot, Jacksonville, FL. April 97 – November 98. Production Test Pilot, F-14 and F/A-18. First flight check flights and deliveries of F-14 and F/A-18 aircraft completing depot level repair. Flight-check Operations Officer and Maintenance Officer, and depot Quality Assurance Officer. 

Naval Reserve Station, St. Louis, MO, December 1998 – February 2000. Served on COMPHIBGRU 2 staff. Deployed to Kadena AFB, Japan, in support of Amphibious Warfare staff joint combined training exercises ULCHI FOCUS LENS 99 (UFL 99) and Special Operations Capable Exercise (SOCEX 99-2). Transferred commission to United States Air Force, Air National Guard. 

183FW, Springfield, IL. September 2000 – May 2005. Commander of the 170 Fighter Squadron, September 2002 to January 2005. F-16C Block 30 fighter pilot. Obtained F-16C Mission Qualification, NVD qualification, and Lightning TGP day/night qualification. Upgraded to Flight Lead, Instructor Pilot, and Strike Mission Commander.

Deployed to Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, May to June 2002 in support of Operation Southern Watch; flying 15 combat missions over Iraq. On two missions served as Response Option Commander coordinating with CAOC PSAB for the employment of ordnance to destroy Iraqi air defense systems targeting coalition aircraft. Deployed to Al Udeid AB, Qatar, October through December 2004 flying 13 combat missions over Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

During the July 2003 ORI, served as Mission Director coordinating all aspects of aircraft maintenance and flying operations. 

US Transportation Command, Scott AFB, IL. January 2006 – March 2012. Served as a traditional reservist in the J-3 Operations Directorate/DDOC, as J-9 Functional training manager, J-3 Operations Flight Commander, and Director of the reserve element assigned to the J-3 Northern Command Branch

Special Project Officer to the Commander of the Joint Transportation Reserve Unit/J-9 Directorate. Authored an Air War College paper outlining a proposed re-organization plan for the Joint Transportation Reserve Unit’s (JTRU) Operations Directorate, which was accepted by the JTRU Commander, and was tasked with implementing this re-organizational plan. Following completion of this task, was assigned to design and implement an annual training plan that synchronized the efforts of all four divisions into an annual plan.

From July 2008 to December 2009 served as a member of the USTRANSCOM Command Liaison Element to USCENTCOM and USSOCOM in Tampa, Florida. From April 2010 to March 2012 served as Deputy Director of the J-33 Division, Joint Operational Support Aircraft Center (JOSAC) Execution/Operations Officer, and as the Deputy Commander of the 954th Reserve Support Squadron.

Retired from military service effective 01APR 2012.