Former ISAF Commander General John Allen is retiring from the US military to address health issues within his family.

In a statement, the US President Barack Obama announced he would accept Gen. Allen’s request to retire, saying he had expressed his “deep, personal appreciation” for Gen. Allen’s service in Afghanistan and in the US Marine Corps.General Allen had been nominated last year to serve as the NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, but allegations of exchange of improper emails with Jill Kelley, a Tampa socialite, had put the nomination on hold. He was cleared of charges of improper conduct in a subsequent investigation led by the Department of Defense.The US President called Gen Allen one of America’s finest military leaders and a true patriot in his statement.