Lt. Col. Daniel Allen knows what it means to take on a responsibility. As the Selective Service Reserve Force Officer and Commander of Detachment 1, Michigan, Allen has proven his dedication to ensuring mission success, and has won a number of awards for his efforts.
The mission of the Selective Service Agency is to furnish manpower to the Defense Department during a national emergency, to manage alternative service for men classified as conscientious objectors, and to register, with only a few exceptions, all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants residing in the United States who are age 18 through 25. Allen is proud of this mission and believes it plays an important role in national security.
“The Selective Service is in essence the third line of defense for this country behind the active duty and reserve components,” said Allen. “Though we hope we never need it, we need to ensure this system is ready to respond to any threat that may come. That is why this assignment is so meaningful to me.”
Allen and his assistant, Maj. Robert LaPoint, work to ensure that each of the counties they are responsible for recruits, trains, and retains members of the local Selective Service boards. Board members must meet a set of criteria, and are required to attend initial training as well as annual continuation training. Allen himself has recruited 65 board members.
Local board members are uncompensated volunteers who play an important community role closely connected with our Nation’s defense. If a military draft becomes necessary, approximately 2,000 local and appeal boards throughout America would decide which young men in each community receive deferments, postponements or exemptions from military service, based on federal guidelines.
In his tenure, Allen and his detachment have received five awards from the Selective Service Agency including the Director’s Excellence Award for 2016 and 2017, Reserve Force Officer of the Quarter for two quarters, and the detachment has earned the Top Detachment of the Region.
Allen began his term with the Selective Service in 2013. He saw the assignment as an opportunity to truly take ownership of the program, and attributes his success in building board membership to the support of his leadership, namely Maj. Gen. Michael Stone.
“General Stone gave me a direction and an end goal,” said Allen. “But he left it up to me to get the program there. The ability to take ownership of the program only motivated me to do more.”
Allen is responsible for 55 of Michigan’s 83 counties, and his area boasts a 100 percent readiness standing for Selective Service boards. Allen credits the relationships that exist across many organizations for the outstanding readiness levels the state has achieved.
“We have built strong relationships with veteran organizations, legislators, and our sister defense organizations to create a healthy network for the common goal,” said Allen. “This network is our legacy. My assistant, Maj. LaPoint, will carry it on and build from it.”
If you are interested in serving on your local Selective Service board, please contact Maj. Rob LaPoint at
rlapoint@harborps.org or 231-838-0776.