Thad Allen | |
|---|---|
 Allen in 2006 | |
| Commandant of the United States Coast Guard | |
| In office 25 May 2006 – 25 May 2010 | |
| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Thomas H. Collins |
| Succeeded by | Robert Papp |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thad William Allen (1949-01-16)16 January 1949 (age 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Spouse | Pamela Hess |
| Education | George Washington University (MPA) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA) |
| Awards | Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal (3) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Coast Guard |
| Years of service | 1971–2010 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Commandant of the Coast Guard Deepwater Horizon Unified Command |
| Battles/wars | September 11 attacks Deepwater Horizon oil spill |
Thad William Allen (born 16 January 1949) is a formeradmiral of theUnited States Coast Guard who served as the 23rdcommandant from 2006 to 2010. Allen is best known for his performance directing the federal response to hurricanesKatrina andRita in theGulf Coast region from September 2005 to January 2006, and for his role asNational Incident Commander of theUnified Command for theDeepwater Horizon oil spill in theGulf of Mexico in 2010.[1][2][3]Robert J. Papp Jr. succeeded him as Commandant on 25 May 2010.
Allen remained on active duty for 36 days after being succeeded as commandant while serving as Deepwater HorizonNational Incident Commander. He officially retired from the U.S. Coast Guard on 30 June 2010, but continued to serve as National Incident Commander for an additional three months. He has worked as an executive vice president atBooz Allen Hamilton since November 2011.[4]
Allen was born inLos Angeles, California, the son of retired U.S. Coast Guardchiefdamage controlman andWorld War II veteran Clyde and Mrs. Wilma Allen.[5] Allen is a 1967 graduate ofPalo Verde High School inTucson. His family moved frequently during his childhood with his father's assignments. He attended theUnited States Coast Guard Academy inNew London, Connecticut, where he was a standout football player, graduating in 1971.[6] He holds aMaster of Public Administration degree fromGeorge Washington University and aMaster's degree in Management (S.M.) from theMIT Sloan School of Management as aSloan Fellow.[7]
In his four decades of service, Allen has held operational command both at sea and ashore, conducting missions to support the maritime safety, security and environmental stewardship interests of the nation. Allen was the last commanding officer ofLORANStation Lampang, Thailand, serving there from 1974 to 1975. Station Lampang was part of the LORAN chain first put into use in 1966 as part of "Operation Tight Reign" in support of military operations in the Vietnam War.[7][8][9] He served aboardUSCGCAndroscoggin (WHEC-68), andUSCGCGallatin (WHEC-721) and commandedUSCGCCitrus (WLB-300). He performed dual roles as commanding officer of Group Long Island Sound andCaptain of the Port, and he commanded Group Atlantic City. He also commanded theSeventh Coast Guard District in Miami and the Atlantic Area in Portsmouth, Virginia.[10]
Allen's first assignment as aflag officer was as Director of Resources at Coast Guard Headquarters then Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, where he directed all operations in the Southeastern United States and Caribbean. Following that assignment he served as Commander, Atlantic Area and U.S. Maritime Defense Zone Atlantic. In this capacity he oversaw all Coast Guard operations on the U.S. East Coast, Gulf Coast, and Great Lakes in the aftermath of theSeptember 11 attacks. Allen served as the U.S. 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.[7]
On 5 September 2005, while serving as Coast Guard Chief of Staff, Allen was appointed deputy toFederal Emergency Management Agency DirectorMichael D. Brown byHomeland Security SecretaryMichael Chertoff, and placed in charge ofHurricane Katrina search-and-rescue and recovery efforts. Former colleagues interviewed after the announcement praised Allen as well-suited to the task.[2]
On 9 September 2005, Allen was given full command of the Bush administration's Hurricane Katrina onsite relief efforts. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff elevated Allen following the removal of Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael D. Brown from that position. Allen announced on 25 January that he would be relieved of this responsibility on 27 January 2006.[11]
Allen assumed the duties of the 23rdCommandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on 25 May 2006.[10] He was appointed to a four-year term by PresidentGeorge W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate.[12] AdmiralRobert J. Papp Jr. succeeded him as commandant on 25 May 2010, in a change of command ceremony.[13]
On 30 April 2010, Homeland Security SecretaryJanet Napolitano announced that Allen would serve as theNational Incident Commander for the federal government's response to theDeepwater Horizon oil spill in theGulf of Mexico.[14] After the end of his service as commandant on 25 May 2010, Allen continued serving as National Incident Commander until 1 October 2010, when that billet was disestablished.[15] He also remained on active duty in the Coast Guard until 30 June 2010, which was the first time in history the Coast Guard had two active duty four-star admirals.[16] The position ofVice Commandant of the Coast Guard has since been made a four-star rank.
On 25 July 2024, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability investigating the Coast Guard’s mishandling of serious misconduct, including racism, hazing, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and the failure to disclose internal investigations into those issues to Congress requested that Admiral Allen participate in a voluntary transcribed interview. The Committee stated that "[o]ne of the key questions the Committee is examining is the extent to which senior USCG leadership willfully concealed internal reports from Congress that would have informed policy changes needed to combat, and further prevent, future incidents of misconduct. Additionally, as the Chief of Staff during and the Commandant following the date range investigated by OFA, the Committee is interested in learning more about what efforts were made to notify Congress or conceal misconduct. We believe that as the former Commandant and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Coast Guard, you have information that will assist us in fully understanding the extent to which USCG withheld these reports from Congress, how these incidents of misconduct were handled, and what actions USCG took regarding those responsible. We therefore request that you make yourself available voluntarily for a transcribed interview."[17]
In October 2010, Allen joined theRAND Corporation as a senior fellow.[18] On 28 November 2011,Booz Allen Hamilton named Allen a Senior Vice President, joining the firm's Justice and Homeland Security business and leading development of thought leadership and client engagement regarding the direction of law enforcement and homeland security.[19]
Allen resides inVienna, Virginia, with his wife Pamela A. Hess, whom he married in October 1975. They have three children and five grandchildren.[10] He was elected aNational Academy of Public Administration Fellow in 2003.[10]
Allen's civilian awards include the 2006 Strategic Vision Award by the Global Strategy Institute (GSI) of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In 2009, he was awarded the Admiral Of The Ocean Sea Award (AOTOS) from the United Seaman's Service and the 2009 Business Achievement Award given byBeta Gamma Sigma, the academichonor society affiliated with theAssociation to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. He was nominated for this award by the United States Coast Guard Academy.[20] Allen, in May 2013, also received an honorary doctorate in public service from theGeorge Washington University.[21]
Allen is a member of theHomeland Security Advisory Council.[22]
His official U.S. Coast Guard portrait, painted by artistMichele Rushworth was unveiled atFort Lesley J. McNair upon his retirement. Allen is a member of theCoast Guard Academy Board of Trustees. He was also the director of thebureaucratic transition of the Coast Guard from theDepartment of Transportation to theDepartment of Homeland Security.[citation needed]
 | ||
  | ||
 |  |  |
 |   |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
  |  |  |
  |  |  |
 |  |  |
| ||
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commandant of the Coast Guard 2006–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Events | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Companies and organisations |
| ||||||||
| People |
| ||||||||
| Places | |||||||||
| Vessels |
| ||||||||
| Reactions and impact |
| ||||||||
| Other | |||||||||
