Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
5:02 | It was a bit of a shock. Dan Allyn had been with the 82nd Airborne and the Ranger Regiment but now he was given command of 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. It had a significant armor component and now he would have to change his mindset from light infantry to armor tactics. Then, 9/11 happened.
Keywords : Daniel Dan Allyn Ranger Naval War College Fort Benning Hammer Brigade light infantry armor John R. Vines F cubed William Buck Kernan 9-11 9/11 Kuwait Operation Iraqi Freedom
Dan Allyn returned to the 82nd Airborne as a brigade S4 and it was there that he got to know legendary Ranger John Abizaid who was his brigade commander. He was enjoying this assignment but then his friend Ken Keen let him know that command of the 3rd Ranger Battalion was up for grabs.
Dan Allyn was sent to command the 18th Airborne Corps but he was told it would only be for a short while. Puzzled about that, he was doing that job when he got the news. He was being promoted to four star and would lead Army Forces Command, a plum assignment. For his final post he was made the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, a fitting end to his career.
Dan Allyn, who retired in 2017 as the second highest ranking officer in the US Army, would now have all the time in the world for his family. Two children and three grandchildren now had his full attention.
Take advantage of every opportunity you get when you have the privilege of leading soldiers. That's the advice of Dan Allyn, retired US Army general. He's not worried about the future because of the deep bench full of talent that is there. Oh, and make sure you follow and apply the Ranger Creed at all times and in all ways.
He went to hear the West Point recruiter speak because it excused him from a lab but Dan Allyn was so impressed that he thought he might go for it. After his mom revealed a secret about that, he was even more determined.
Life was fine in the 82nd but Dan Allyn was being prodded to apply for the Ranger Regiment by a commander he respected. He did, he was accepted, and it was life changing. He began to learn what leadership was all about. On a personal note, he was made company commander of the same company with which his father-in-law had served.
It was tough getting through the berms that separated Kuwait from Iraq. Dan Allyn had a portion of his men in place when the call came from Gen. Austin, are you ready? No sir, most of the brigade is spread out behind me but I've got it. Let's go. He was blessed with good leaders who had the Iraqi armored units hopelessly outclassed. Part 1 of 3.
You try to train for everything but locals in pickups with mounted machine guns weren't foreseen in the lead-up to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dan Allyn was proud of his team which handled that threat with minimal consequence for civilians. The day when the move was made into Baghdad was the longest day of his life, a feeling that was surely shared throughout the unit. Part 2 of 3.
The Iraqi armor was caught between Dan Allyn's tanks and the US Marines. A T-72 attempted to cross over the bridge to lead the escape but a well placed round stopped it cold. The downfall of Saddam Hussein was pretty much complete. Then began a difficult transition from combat to counterinsurgency. Part 3 of 3.
After commanding a company in the 1st Ranger Battalion, Dan Allyn moved to Ranger Regiment headquarters to serve as the assistant S3. During that time, Desert Shield and Desert Storm happened. At first, there was little Ranger participation because it was, chiefly, an armor battle. As the threat from Scud missiles increased, they were dispatched to help eliminate the threat.
It was a difficult task. Dan Allyn was sent to Iraq again to serve as Chief of Staff for Gen Lloyd Austin during The Surge. After 16 exhausting months he went to SOUTHCOM and deployed to Haiti to support aid efforts after a major earthquake. Then he was selected to command the 1st Cavalry Division and spent some time in Afghanistan.
After West Point, his first assignment was with the 82nd Airborne. There, as a young Lieutenant, Dan Allyn learned to trust his experienced NCOs and be a sponge as they dispensed wisdom. His unit was training in the Sinai Peninsula when the alert came. Something was happening in Grenada. Where's that?
The men were so loaded down with their kits and full rucksacks that they had to be helped up the ramp to the plane. Dan Allyn and his men were on the way to Grenada where the fight was already on. The mission? Find the Cubans.
Dan Allyn and his Ranger company were scheduled for leave but they got the alert. You're going to Panama. They departed with winter ice on the tarmac and headed for the tropics. When he parachuted down to the airport they were to secure, he had a hard landing but got it together and began directing the mission. Part 1 of 2.
Not long after the firing started, most of Manuel Noriega's soldiers shed their uniforms and blended into the populace. Maybe that guy wasn't worth dying for. While Dan Allyn's unit was searching for holdouts, they found a warehouse filled with new toys that were slated for the families of his henchmen. Why don't we play Robin Hood? Part 2 of 2.
