Allen Lynn Roush was born January 13, 1956, in Warner Robins, Georgia. He grew up in Savannah, where he graduated high school and started his career with the Air National Guard. After serving a total of 40 years, 32 years in guard and active duty and another eight years at the Pentagon, Allen retired in 2014 as the Senior Fire Emergency Services Analyst, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He provided support and was responsible for the Joint Base Operations, DoDi program development, Air Force Fire Emergency Services Guidance, White House support, and All Hazards Training. His complete military career was spent in Fire and Emergency Services, having held every position within the fire protection flight to include 10 years as fire chief.

He had numerous deployments, including supporting the Space Shuttle program, Trident Submarine operations, Operation Desert Shield/Storm, and incident command for over ten major aircraft emergency response operations. He also provided support to President Jimmy Carter during flood relief humanitarian operations in Georgia, provided support to President Bill Clinton during the 50th anniversary wreath laying at Normandy Beach, provided support to both President Bush’s visits to the west coast, and worked in the emergency operations center as one of only two Air Force members supporting President Obama’s inauguration. Allen had many achievements in his career, winning major military and civilian awards and obtaining many certifications and degrees.

Allen was a great patriot and an inspiration to so many. He put his whole heart into everything he did. Allen never met a stranger and could talk to anyone about anything. Allen loved to cook. It took him a long time to adjust to not cooking for the entire firehouse, which he did earlier in his career. Allen loved to travel. This was one of the reasons he joined the military. He was always the first to volunteer. These deployments took him all over the world, giving him tons of experiences and stories to share.

Allen loved to make people laugh. He could always find a way to bring humor into any situation. Allen was a lot of fun to be around. He was always putting the needs of others before his own. Allen also loved drag racing, hiking in the mountains, and spending time with his granddaughters. Allen made it a point every day to celebrate life, because he knew how precious it was. After battling his second round of cancer, Allen passed away on July 16, 2022. Allen lived life to the fullest and is dearly missed by so many family and friends. He will forever live in our hearts.