Allen Bernard West (born February 7, 1961)was born in Georgia and joined the Army on November 1, 1983, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he completed the Field Artillery Officer's Basic Course (FACBOC). He then proceeded to airborne training at Fort Benning, GA, where he received his Parachutist Badge. West's first assignment was as an Airborne Infantry fire support officer and platoon leader, as well as battalion training officer for the 4th B.C.T.(Brigade Combat Team), 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg N.C. under the command of Lt. Col. Thomas R. Needham at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy. In 1987, West was promoted to captainand attended the Field Artillery Officer's Advanced Course.Following graduation, West took command of B Battery, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. He served as the battalion task force fire support officer for 2d Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment. As a member of the 1st Infantry Division he deployed for Operation Desert Shieldand Operation Desert Storm.After redeployment from Kuwait, West served as an Army ROTC instructor at Kansas State University from 1991 to 1994, becoming the U.S. Army ROTC Instructor of the Year in 1993.In January 1995 he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division Support Command as the assistant operations/combat plans officer. West was promoted to major before he attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1997. Upon completion, he became the operations officer for the 18th Field Artillery Brigade before being assigned as executive officer of 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment. Afterwards, West served as an Army exchange officer at the II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeunefrom 1999 to 2002 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. After leaving the military, he and his family moved to Florida, where he taught at a high school for a year. When he took office in January 2011 he became the first black Republican Congressman from Florida since Josiah T. Walls left office in 1876 near the end of Reconstruction. #blackhistorymonth #blacksoldiers #bedifferent #forceofthefuture #USARMY #usarmyreserve