Kathy Allen, General John Allen’s wife, pictured happily opening Christmas presents

General John Allen and his wife Kathy were pictured laughing as they rip open Christmas presents and serious-faced as they support each other at official events.

But this solidarity now threatens to crumble, after John Allen was found to have sent thousands of “inappropriate” emails to military socialite Jill Kelley, launching an FBI and Pentagon investigation.

The general, who leads U.S. troops in Afghanistan, allegedly exchanged tens of thousands of messages with Jill Kelley, the Florida housewife who sparked the probe into the David Petraeus affair.

But intimate photo albums give a glimpse into John Allen’s happy family life, while his daughter’s blog reveals how their support and love of music helped her realize her dream of becoming a singer.

John Allen, who grew up in Oakton, Virginia and has enjoyed a glittering military career spanning nearly four decades, has a wife, Kathy, and two daughters, Bobbie and Betty.

In photographs from the family Christmas, Kathy Allen, who calls herself “PudgeMom” on social networking sites, laughs as she opens presents and chats with her family.

Bobbie Allen, 27, has revealed how her military upbringing shaped her, and has told how she was inspired to sing by her mother, who would always sing in the house.

Now living in Washington DC, Bobbie Allen revealed that music helped her during a transient childhood.

She called Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, home twice while growing up – and even performed there last year.

According to Bobbie, her mother Kathy Allen carried their stereo system by hand to every new duty station they moved to and it was the first thing they set up in their new homes, saying: “That’s when life could begin.

“If we’d had a bad day at school, she would put on happy music and make us dance. Music was the fifth member of our family.”

Writing on her blog, Bobbie Allen said she was inspired by Karen Carpenter, calling her voice “liberating and inspiring”.

Bobbie Allen said she always kept her tape deck playing, and sang to herself in the backseat of the car as the family moved around.