Citizen-Soldier Takes Command

Allen Boyette, director for building maintenance and operations, took command of the 60th Troop Command, one of five major subordinate commands in the North Carolina National Guard, after he was promoted to colonel in January. He is responsible for the training, readiness and operations of numerous units across the state, including finance, field artillery, special forces, public affairs, contracting, military history, medical and the National Guard Army Band.

The 60th Troop Command provides command, control, and coordination of military forces supporting homeland defense, homeland security and defense support to civil authorities.

Boyette, who graduated from NC State in 1987 with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, received his commission through the ROTC program. He served on active duty for six years before joining the Guard. In 2004, he completed a year-long combat tour in Iraq, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.

After returning from Iraq, Boyette restarted his graduate studies and earned a master of science in civil engineering in 2007. He also is a professional engineer and certified educational facilities professional.

Boyette credits his education and training at NC State for his ability to serve in multiple leadership roles and accomplish difficult missions.

“Whether supporting the physical environment for education and research at NC State, responding to hurricanes in eastern North Carolina with the National Guard, or deploying overseas, challenging work at NC State and the North Carolina National Guard gives me a sense of being part of higher purpose that helps our state and protects our country,” he said.

As an army officer, Boyette’s work in the military can be significantly different than work at NC State, but there are some similarities.

“Maintenance, operations, and engineering related to building systems on campus are much about problem solving. Although the tasks are different, much of the work in the military is also about problem solving,” he said.