Ryan Samuel Allen

Captain Ryan Allen is the Recruiting Flight Commander, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 585 at Duke University. He is responsible for overseeing the recruitment of officer candidates and the instruction of 100 and 200 level Aerospace Studies curriculum. 

Capt Allen received his commission through completion of Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, AL in November 2016. Prior to his commission in the Air Force, Capt Allen achieved the rank of Gunnery Sergeant (E-7) in the United States Marine Corps. During his 16 years of service as a Marine, he acted as Substation Commander, a Canvassing Recruiter, a Wounded Warrior Battalion Recovery Care Coordinator and Section Leader, Operations Clerk, and a Tactical Vehicle Operator. Capt Allen worked closely within the Joint Service Medical Evacuation Process as a Marine Corps Hospital Liaison at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, and at Ramstein AB, Germany. His enlisted tour of duty included two combat deployments to Iraq in 2003 and 2005, completing over 90 tactical convoys throughout the Al Anbar Province in Support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM phases I-III. Capt Allen served as Assistant Installation Deployment Officer, Flight Commander, Materiel Management and Executive Officer, 56th Mission Support Group at Luke AFB, Arizona before being assigned to Seymour Johnson AFB, NC and filling roles as Flight Commander, Deployment and Distribution Flight, deploying as a Special Operations Command Central Liaison Officer to Special Operations Joint Task Force – Operation INHERENT RESOLVE in 2020 and assumed duties as the Director of Operations in June 2021. He began his current assignment at Detachment 585, Duke University in April 2022.