Lt. Col. West believes it will be principled constitutional conservative policies, not politics, which secures a sound economic future for Americans – with growth, opportunity and returning the promise of the American dream for this generation and those to come. He is the third of four generations of military servicemen in his family. During his 22 year career in the United States Army, Lieutenant Colonel West served in several combat zones and received many honors including a Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, one with Valor device, and a Valorous Unit Award. In 1993 he was named the US Army ROTC Instructor of the Year. In November of 2010, Allen was elected to the United States Congress, representing Florida’s 22nd District. As a member of the 112th Congress, he sat on the Small Business and Armed Services Committees and was instrumental in passage of the 2011 and 2012 National Defense Authorization Acts. He is a Fox News Contributor, contributing columnist for Townhall.com, and author of Guardian of the Republic: An American Ronin’s Journey to Faith, Family and Freedom. He is the former Executive Director of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas Texas. LTC West holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee as well as two Masters degrees, one from Kansas State University and another from the US Army Command and General Staff Officers College. West is an avid distance runner, a Master SCUBA diver, a motorcyclist, and in his spare time he enjoys cheering his beloved Tennessee Volunteers.