Alan Swain is a veteran who served his country around the world for 26 years in the U.S. Army. Alan now lives in North Carolina with his wife, Doris. Swain retired as an Army Colonel and his wife retired as an Army Lieutenant Colonel (also a retired Special Education/Spanish Teacher).
Alan joined the Army as a Combat Arms Field Artillery Officer. Following a tour in Germany he attended Army Flight training and later flew AH-1 Cobras and AH-64 Apache helicopters.
Swain served across the US Army to include commanding at many levels, leadership roles at the Pentagon on the US Army Staff and the Joint Chiefs of Staff overseeing AH-64 Apache $16B Fielding Program, Desert Shield/Storm, Bosnia Peacekeeping Operations and Kosovo Air Campaign Operations providing updates as needed thru the U.S. InterAgency working with the CIA, Department of State, National Security Council, NATO Military Staff, and the White House Situation Room.
Alan also worked at the White House under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush as the Executive Officer to the White House Drug Czar. He has seen the impact of the growing drug trafficking and ongoing opioid crisis and what works and does not work. Alan has commanded soldiers at all levels, performed test pilot duties and earned the Master Aviator Badge. Swain helped form the XVIII Airborne Corps AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter Regiment while stationed at Fort Bragg. He also commanded an AH-64 Apache Battalion in Germany, and further self-deployed his unit for Operations in Bosnia as the Aviation Task Force Commander to perform Peacemaking/Peacekeeping Operations. After his service, Alan served as Senior VP, Executive VP, and Chief Operations Officer for several large growing Defense Firms. Swain has held a Top Secret Security Clearance and a current Counter-Intelligence (CI) Polygraph.
Swain ran for Congress last cycle in the old 2nd Congressional District. Swain then stepped up to serve as Chairman of both the Wake County Republican Party and the NCGOP 2nd Congressional District. Local 2021 municipal elections proved successful with 7 of 12 candidates winning their races.
After service, Alan’s work in helping to form a small business doing government contracting taught him how to hire good people, make payroll and win government contracts. In a 12 year period they grew the small business to annual revenues of $35M.
Alan has been active in the community volunteering and providing support for many years to include Cystic Fibrosis (CFC) Fundraiser Walks, Special Olympics, St. Jude’s Hospital, Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, coaching youth basketball teams and is the former President of his Homeowners Association.
Alan secured a Bachelors in Political Science from The Citadel in 1976, a Master of Science in Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 1988, and a Masters in Political Science from Auburn University in 1989. Swain is also a graduate of the Army War College and a Jennings Randolph Fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Swain is Asian American and his wife from Puerto Rico have 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren.
During this Covid 19 crisis, Alan, working with the NC Asian American Coalition (as President) teamed with 19 other Asian organizations to take monetary donations to purchase Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for our frontline healthcare heroes. Alan teamed with his partnered organizations have contributed over 70,000 pieces of PPE ( masks, gloves, goggles and face shields) to more than 60 hospitals and clinics in the Carolinas, Texas and the country of India.
