Thad Allen
Thad William Allen (born 16 January 1949) is a former admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 23rd commandant from 2006 to 2010. Allen is best known for his performance directing the federal response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast region from September 2005 to January 2006, and for his role as National Incident Commander of the Unified Command for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Robert J. Papp Jr. succeeded him as Commandant on 25 May 2010.
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 16 January 1949 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Spouse | Pamela Hess |
| 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 |
Allen remained on active duty for 36 days after being succeeded as Commandant while serving as Deepwater Horizon National 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 at Booz Allen Hamilton since November 2011.