Extended Employment of First Sergeant Mark J. Allen (U.S. Army Ret.) at Campbell University

1. 1SG Allen served with distinction in the United States Army for over twenty years. His time in service includes multiple combat and humanitarian deployments as well as tasking as a Drill Instructor and Ranger School Instructor.
2. After retirement from the Army, 1SG Allen was hired by 4th Brigade Cadet Command as a contractor through Campbell University’s Army ROTC program. Since 2012, he has served as an instructor, teacher, and mentor for hundreds of cadets; many of these cadets ultimately commissioned as Army officers.
3. Without the precision and expertise that 1SG Allen has brought to Campbell’s ROTC program, the program would not be consistently ranked among the top ten programs in the nation. Of the last three commissioning classes, two cadets have been ranked among the top ten of thousands of cadets nationwide. Campbell’s ROTC program was awarded the 2016 MacArthur Award (just one of eight schools) among 275 programs across the country. This prestigious award is a direct correlation to the performance of cadets and cadre impacted by 1SG Allen.
4. Furthermore, the 2018 graduating class of Campbell University’s ROTC program would like it noted that 1SG Allen has been our primary instructor for the entirety of our training, the first class to have the privilege. Each summer, Army ROTC cadets report to Advanced Camp, located at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, for a month-long evaluation of leadership. In August, when Cadet Officer Evaluation Reports are released, the evidence of 1SG Allen’s influence will be proven once again.
5. As of August 2017, 1SG Allen will no longer be allowed to serve in his position at Campbell University due to the University and the United States Army’s decision to not offer him a job permanently. A great asset to the ROTC program and the University will be lost.