John R. Allen, born on December 15, 1953, in Brockton, Massachusetts, is a retired four-star United States Marine Corps general. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree and served a distinguished 39-year military career, rising through the ranks with key commands including the 14th commandant of students at the Naval War College, deputy commander of United States Central Command, and commander of the Second Marine Expeditionary Force. He also served as commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Allen retired from the military in February 2013. In civilian roles, he was appointed by President Barack Obama as special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL in September 2014, holding the position until 2015. From October 2017 to January 2021, he served as president of the Brookings Institution, resigning amid controversy over emails linked to Hunter Biden's laptop, which led to an FBI investigation into potential foreign agent activities (no charges filed). He has chaired the U.S. Institute of Peace and advised on counterterrorism strategies. Allen is an expert in asymmetric warfare and counterinsurgency, having authored reports such as the U.S. Marine Corps' Afghanistan Study Group analysis. His decorations include three Defense Distinguished Service Medals and a Bronze Star. In 2020, he signed a letter dismissing the New York Post's Biden laptop story as Russian disinformation, later clarifying it did not address the laptop's contents.