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.

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).

[2] 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.)

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.

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".

[9] In June 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced Allen's nomination for promotion to the rank of lieutenant general.

[14][15] 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.

[25] On 11 September 2014, the Obama Administration announced that Allen would coordinate international efforts against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

[33] 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.

[36] 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.

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.

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.

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).

[38] In June 2022, Allen's electronic data was reportedly seized in relation to potential illegal lobbying on behalf of the government of Qatar.

[40] 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.