With the 2020 political campaign season kicking off, the voters will once again be looking for leadership in their local, state and federal government offices. In addition, members of the major political parties will be running for leadership positions at every level within those jurisdictions. One of those management positions is Chairman of the Texas Republican Party. The state chair leads the party by directing the executive staff and setting a vision for the Texas GOP. The chair is also responsible for organizing the fundraising needed to run the state party. The mission of the Republican Party of Texas is: “To promote a conservative philosophy of government by promoting conservative principles and by providing the infrastructure through which those who share our conservative principles can get involved in the political process, run for and be elected to public office, and govern according to our principles when elected.”
Lt. Colonel Allen West is running for the position of Chair of the Republican Party of Texas at its 2020 convention, which is scheduled for May 14-16 in Houston. After his retirement from the Army in 2004, Col. Allen taught high school in South Florida for a year before volunteering and deploying to Afghanistan as a civilian military adviser to the Afghan army, an assignment he finished in November 2007. In November of 2010, Allen was honored to continue his oath of service to his country when he was elected to the United States Congress, representing Florida’s 22nd District. He is the former Executive Director of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas Texas and the former Director of the Booker T. Washington Initiative at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
In the video interview, Colonel West talks about his reasons for running, how the chair is elected and what he will do to strengthen the party. He also comments on the recent imbroglio involving the comments made by the Speaker of the Texas House during a secret recording of the conversation by the President of Empower Texans. Colonel West is a man with a very lengthy and impressive biography. The following is just a short history of his career from his webpage: www.west4texas.com
“Allen West was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia in the same neighborhood where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once preached. He is the third of four generations of military servicemen, all combat veterans, in his family. West holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and two Masters, one from Kansas State University and another from the US Army Command and General Staff Officers College. West was commissioned through ROTC at the University of Tennessee as a Second Lieutenant (2LT) on July 31, 1982. He entered active duty service in the U.S. Army on November 1, 1983 at Fort Sill to attend the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course.
“He later attended airborne and jumpmaster training at Fort Benning. West’s first assignment was as an airborne infantry company fire support team leader and battalion training officer in the 325th Airborne Battalion Combat Team. In 1987, he was promoted to Captain and attended the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course. He was then assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, where he commanded Bravo Battery, 6th Field Artillery Regiment and was a Battalion Task Force fire support officer for 2d Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment. While with the 1st Infantry Division, he participated in Operations Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
“After redeployment from Kuwait, West served as an ROTC instructor at Kansas State University from 1991 to 1994. In January 1995, he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division Support Command as the Assistant Operations/Combat Plans Officer. During that time, West was promoted to Major and selected for attendance to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and graduated in 1997. Afterward, he became the Operations Officer of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade (Airborne), followed by assignment as the Executive Officer of the 1st Battalion (Air Assault), 377th Field Artillery Regiment.
“Upon completion of these positions, West was assigned to the II Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune, and selected to serve as an Army exchange officer to this headquarters from 1999 to 2002. West’s culminating assignment to his career was as Battalion Commander of the 2d Battalion 20th Field Artillery 4th Infantry Division. He assumed command of this unit on June 6, 2002. He deployed with his unit during the Iraq War in 2003 and continued to command his battalion until his retirement from the Army in 2004 after 22 years of honorable service in defense of the Republic.”
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