The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas Lottery Veteran Recognition: David Allison
10.20.2017 | Football
The Army veteran and retired U.S. Secret Service agent will be honored during the coin toss when Texas Football hosts Oklahoma State.
David Allison's call to service led him literally around the world. He grew up and attended college in Georgia, before serving as an Army officer in West Germany and the Middle East, and later as a Secret Service agent protecting dignitaries at home and abroad.
He now serves The University of Texas as Safety and Security Manager for Texas Athletics. Allison generously donated his time to share his story, in his words, with TexasSports.com
***
One of my first inspirations was my professor of military science in high school, and that is when I started to think about a career in the military. He was a retired Special Forces Colonel. I was on the high school (ROTC) drill team, which required a lot of discipline and precision. That inspired me to become the person I am. I just continued to try to achieve excellence and be an example that you leave a place better than you found it.
I graduated from Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia in 1988. I was a battalion commander for my unit in college and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1988. I was stationed in West Germany as an Army platoon leader, and then I was deployed during Desert Storm and Desert Shield. We were later reassigned to work with the Israeli defense forces. To be able to help defend those who are considered God's chosen people, to travel around where you can look in the Bible and say, "This is where this happened," – that by itself was awe-inspiring.
After I re-deployed back to Germany, I began my application to the Secret Service. The process, with all the background checks, physicals and various panels, took almost two years. I was invited to join the service in 1994 and was assigned to the Miami field office as a criminal investigator.
The Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the Office of the President, foreign dignitaries, and you also protect the financial infrastructure of the country. We investigate issues like counterfeiting and identity theft. In Miami, I executed undercover assignments and protection of course. It makes you a better overall agent because the criminal side helps you with the protection side.
Eventually, I transferred to Washington D.C. For two years, I was on Vice President Al Gore's protection detail. We went through the 2000 presidential campaign and all the recounts. Then, I picked up Vice President Dick Cheney and stayed with him for two years. I went back to Miami supervising agents, and then transferred to Oklahoma City. I retired there as Assistant Special Agent in Charge after 21 years in the Secret Service.
A lot of people say retire, but it's really a transition in your career. I've always had an obligation to serve my country. I take pride in that. When this opportunity came, at The University of Texas, it was exciting. The brand loyalty is exemplary. People build careers here, and stay for 20 or 30 years. If you didn't like what you were doing, you wouldn't stay that long.
One of my responsibilities, as Safety and Security Manager, is constantly looking at the news, the internet, the chatter, what is being said, what is being heard, so you can prepare for if that makes its way here. My role is to communicate with all these entities, from facilities and event operations to police, sheriff and the fire marshal. Everybody is on the same page. We all have the same goal, which is to make it a fun experience, a safe experience for the fans. We always prepare for "what if," and have a plan in place.
I've had years and years of situations. I've been overseas, under fire in the Middle East, had a person trying to park a car bomb next to the site we're protecting. You have to maintain that level head. In the eye of the storm, you have to be calm. You can't be afraid and frazzled. That's why you have a plan in place. Even if the plan doesn't go completely as you expected, there's still enough structure in place to control the situation.
Once the plan is in place, you're really looking for things that are out of place. What do you look for in a crowd of 80,000 people? Suspicious behavior, because no matter how much a person tries to blend in, if they're fixated and focused on doing something that's not in context with what's going on around them, you'll see it right away. They don't even realize they're doing it. We're trained to read the emotion and behavior of the crowd. Individuals stand out if they're not focusing on what everyone else is connecting to.
I try to bring my best every day, to invest in the institutional knowledge, and do all the research to make it a better, safer place.
My goal and purpose, I would say, is putting something in place so when the next person comes behind me, he or she will have enough of a foundation to build on so they can continue to make it safe.
Everybody's agenda is to make sure gameday is fun, but also make it safe. We're not stupid to what's going on in the world. It's important to keep your finger on the pulse of the community, so you're always proactive in preventing issues and prioritizing the safety of the student-athletes, coaches, fans and stakeholders.
Thanks to the Texas Lottery, great things are happening all across Texas. Every year, more than $1 billion of lottery revenue goes to good causes like public education and veterans assistance programs.
Since 1992, the Texas Lottery has generated more than $26 billion in revenue for the state of Texas. Through strict adherence to their vision, mission and core values, the Texas Lottery is dedicated to ensuring that this support continues.