Col. Allen L. Stark, a native of Gallatin, retired recently from the Missouri National Guard
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Col. Allen L. Stark, a native of Gallatin, retired recently from the Missouri National Guard as United States Property and Fiscal Officer (USPFO) after a 42-year military career.
Col. Stark was appointed Missouri’s USPFO in 1985. When he retired, Stark was the longest serving USPFO in the nation with 16 years of service in the position.
The United States Property and Fiscal Officer is responsible for accounting for all federal funds and property issued to the National Guard in each state. He was responsible for all federal funds distributed to the Missouri Army and Air National Guard each year.
Under his direction, the Missouri National Guard’s annual federal funding increased from $80 million in 1985 to $252 million last year and total assets and property of the Missouri Army and Air National Guard increased from approximately $250 million to $1.5 billion in 2000.
At his retirement party in Jefferson City, Maj. Gen. John Havens, the adjutant general of Missouri, called Stark “his most trusted advisor and the person most responsible for securing the funding for helping start programs like Show-Me Youth Challenge and the Funeral Honors Program.”
“From communications I have with others in his position in other states, Col. Stark has been the one they look to as an example,” Havens added. He also credited Stark with securing the funding for building the Guard’s present state headquarters building in Jefferson City. The Ike Skelton Training Site was completed in 1994.
Stark joined the U.S. Army Air Defense Battery B, 5th Missile Battalion, 5th Artillery in June 1959. After basic training, he served his first three years of active duty at Lone Jack, Mo., location of a Nike Missile site. He joined the Missouri National Guard in 1962.
Stark completed Missouri National Guard Officer Candidate School in 1967 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Defense Artillery. While serving as executive officer of the unit, the battery was named the top air defense battery worldwide by the U.S. Army Air Defense Command.
In 1968, Stark transferred to Jefferson City and started work in the USPFO. He held positions of employee services supervisor, personnel officer, purchasing and contracting officer, supervisory logistics management and deputy USPFO before being named the states USPFO in 1985.
Mr. Stark’s military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Conspicuous Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
Stark and his wife, Lyla, reside in Holts Summitt. They have two sons and two grandchildren. His brother, David Stark, resides in Gallatin.
In a feature article published by the Jefferson City Post-Tribune, Stark indicated his plans to retire on his 430-acre ranch, dealing with his 100 cattle, five quarter-horses and the home he recently started to build.
Reflecting back on his career, Col. Stark noted that at one time the state’s USPFO was the 10thlargest business in Missouri. Naturally, he holds the Missouri National Guard in high esteem.
“It’s a community-based organization,” Stark said in the Jefferson City newspaper.
“Primarily, it’s Missourians helping Missourians in the time of a natural disaster, but, when the nation needs them, they’re available for call-up.
“I think the National Guard provides those two things, and I think it’s valuable to the nation to have that.”