Gen. Allen asks to retire from job

— Marine Gen. John Allen, the longest serving leader of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, asked President Barack Obama on Tuesday morning to accept his retirement from the military because his wife is seriously ill, a move that nullifies his nomination to be the supreme allied commander in Europe.

In a statement, Obama said he had granted Allen’s request. “I told General Allen that he has my deep, personal appreciation for his extraordinary service over the last 19 months in Afghanistan, as well as his decades of service in the United States Marine Corps,” the president said.

The decision deprives Obama of a four-star general with whom he had built a close wartime relationship, and forces the White House to find a new candidate for the military’s most prestigious overseas assignment.

In an interview Monday evening, Allen said he wants to focus on helping his wife,Kathy, cope with a combination of chronic health problems that include an autoimmune disorder.

“Right now, I’ve just got to get her well,” Allen said. “It’s time to take care of my family.”

In Afghanistan, Allen oversaw the strategic shift from troop-intensive, counterinsurgency operations to the development of local security forces. As he orchestrated that shift, he managed the removal of 33,000 U.S. troops from the country and the response to a spate of attacks on coalition personnel by members of the Afghan security forces.

Allen, who relinquished command of the war nine days ago, said his decision was not influenced by a Pentagon investigation into email messages he exchanged with Tampa, Fla., socialite Jill Kelley, who was involved in the scandal that prompted David Petraeus to resign as CIA director last year. Allen was cleared of wrongdoing last month, after investigators combed through the messages.

Front Section, Pages 3 on 02/20/2013

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