Allen Boyd
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Image:Rep.AllenBoyd.jpgF. Allen Boyd Jr. (born June 6 1945) is an American politician, and has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997, representing the Second District of Florida (map). His district includes all of Bay, Gulf, Calhoun, Jackson, Liberty, Gadsden, Franklin, Wakulla, Taylor, Suwannee, Lafayette, and Dixie Counties. The district also includes most of Leon and Jefferson Counties.
He was born in Valdosta, Georgia, was educated at Florida State University, and served in combat with the United States Army. Boyd was a fifth generation farmer from Monticello, Florida and a member of the Florida House of Representatives before entering the U.S. House.
Military and veterans advocacy
Representative Boyd has long been considered by the Florida veterans' community as a defender of veterans' rights. In 2005, he was named by the Collegiate Veterans Organization as an "advocate" for veterans' rights. Boyd is a member of the House Caucuses for the Army, Air Force, and Mine Warfare. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life. Boyd was a combat veteran with the U.S. Army, and cites his experience as a reason for his advocacy. He is considered a patron of military bases in the Florida Panhandle, notably securing funding for Tyndall Air Force Base, and the Naval Support Activity - Panama City base. Boyd voted for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, funding and supplemental funding for the war in Iraq, and is a vocal supporter of democracy in Iraq as a model for the Middle East. Currently, Boyd is working on a soldier's Bill of Rights for the 21st century.