Thad Allen
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| Thad W. Allen | |
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| Born January 16, 1949 | |
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| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Coast Guard |
| Years of service | 1967 - present |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | Commandant of the Coast Guard |
| Battles/wars | Hurricane Katrina response September 11, 2001 attacks |
| Awards | Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal (3) Transportation 9-11 Medal |
Admiral Thad William Allen, USCG (born January 16, 1949) is the twenty-third Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. Allen is most well known for his widely-praised performance directing the federal response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast region from September 2005 to January 2006.
Allen served as the Coast Guard's chief of staff from May 2002 until May 2006. As chief of staff, Allen was third in the Coast Guard's command structure, and was commanding officer of Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Allen directed the Coast Guard's East Coast response efforts to the September 11, 2001 attacks while serving as Atlantic Area Commander and Commander of the Maritime Defense Zone Atlantic.
He was also the director of the bureaucratic transition of the Coast Guard from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Homeland Security.
In addition to his wearing the Advanced Boat Force Operations Insignia and Cutterman Officer Badge and Commandant Staff Badge, Admiral Allen has been awarded the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal (3 awards), Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards), Coast Guard Commendation Medal (3 awards with Operational Distinguishing Device), Transportation 9-11 Medal, Coast Guard Achievement Medal (2 awards with Operational device), Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon and numerous unit, service and campaign awards.
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[edit] Hurricane Katrina
On September 5, 2005, Allen was appointed deputy to Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael D. Brown by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, and placed in charge of Hurricane Katrina search-and-rescue and recovery efforts. Former colleagues interviewed after the announcement praised Allen as well-suited to the task.[1]
On September 9, 2005, Vice Admiral Allen was given full command of the Bush administration's Hurricane Katrina onsite relief efforts. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff elevated Allen following the removal of Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael D. Brown from that position. Admiral Allen announced on January 25 that he would be relieved of this responsibility on January 27, 2006.[2]
[edit] Background
Allen, was born in Tucson, Arizona, and raised in a Coast Guard family, frequently relocating. He is a 1967 graduate of Palo Verde High School in Tucson. He attended the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, where he was a standout football player, graduating in 1971. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from George Washington University and a Master's degree in Management (S.M.) from the MIT Sloan School of Management as a Sloan Fellow.
[edit] Personal
Allen resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland with his wife Pamela A. Hess, whom he married in October 1975. They have three children and two grandchildren. He followed his father, Clyde Allen, a retired Coast Guard Chief Damage Controlman and World War Two veteran, into the profession.
[edit] Awards and decorations
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Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal with 2 award stars |
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Legion of Merit |
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Meritorious Service Medal with 2 award stars |
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Transportation 9-11 Medal |
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Coast Guard's Chief of Staff To Assist FEMA Head Brown", Washington Post, September 7, 2005
- ^ Speech at Coast Guard Station Washington, D.C, January 25, 2006
| Preceded by Thomas H. Collins |
Commandant of the Coast Guard 2006 – present |
Incumbent |
[edit] External links
- Coast Guard's Chief of Staff To Assist FEMA Head Brown, Washington Post, September 7, 2005
- Coast Guard chief takes over relief effort, CNN, September 9, 2005
- Thad Allen to lead Katrina recovery effort, Marine Log.com, September 9, 2005
- President Bush announces his intention to nominate Vice Admiral Thad W. Allen to be the next Commandant of the Coast Guard, White House press release, January 9, 2006
- Coast Guard FAQ
- America's Best Leaders, US News & World Report, October, 2006
Portions of this biography were taken from the Coast Guard's biography of Allen.
