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Thad Allen News

09 Jul 2019

Admiral Schultz Emphasizes Maritime as a Driver of U.S. Commerce

Flying into New Orleans with Admiral Karl Schultz, Commandant, USCG, provides a ‘birds eye view’ on the robust and diverse business in and around the lower Mississippi River.  Photo: Greg Trauthwein

Last month Maritime Reporter & Engineering News was invited to join Admiral Karl Schultz, the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, on a trek to New Orleans for an underway tour on board a mid-stream transfer operation in the Mississippi River. As the U.S. inland waterway system has endured historic water levels for more than six months, the destination provided a perfect backdrop to discuss several key messages coming from USCG leadership: the maritime industry’s critical role in facilitating U.S.

13 May 2019

Thad Allen Joins HudsonAnalytix

Admiral Thad Allen, U.S. Coast Guard retired

HudsonAnalytix, announced that Admiral Thad Allen, U.S. Coast Guard retired, has joined their operation as a Senior Executive Advisor.Admiral Allen served as the 23rd Commandant of the Coast Guard from 2006 to 2010. He will be focusing on risk management for the global maritime transportation sector served by Hudson. Focus areas include regulatory and policy issues, crisis response and disaster management, environmental compliance, and cyber risk to shipping, ports, and supply chains.

05 Jun 2017

Coast Guard to Be Honored in DC

John F. Kelly (Photo: US Dept. of Homeland Security)

The Coast Guard Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced that its 13th Annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard in Our Nation’s Capital will take place on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C. Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly and Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard will deliver keynote remarks. Dinner chairs are Coast Guard Foundation board members Admiral Thad Allen, USCG (Retired) and Corrine Kosar. Secretary John F.

28 May 2015

Coast Guard Foundation Hosts Annual Tribute

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that its 11th Annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard in Our Nation’s Capital will take place on Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C. The Honorable James R. Clapper, Director of National Intelligence and Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard will deliver keynote remarks. CNN’s Kyra Phillips, and Fox News’ John Roberts will emcee the event. The event is chaired by Coast Guard Foundation board members Admiral Thad Allen, USCG (Ret.) and Corrine Kosar. The seven living past commandants of the United States Coast Guard are honorary co-chairs of the event.

21 Oct 2014

Coast Guard Foundation to Honor USCG in Miami

Admiral Thad Allen, 23rd Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.)

The Coast Guard Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that its annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard Seventh District will take place on November 13 at the Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. During the event, emceed by Efrem “Skip” Zimbalist III, chairman and CEO of Active Interest Media, Inc., the Coast Guard Foundation will pay tribute to former Commandant of the Coast Guard and former Seventh District Commander, retired Admiral Thad Allen.

02 Sep 2014

Ballast Water Leadership

Richard j. Douglas

Admiral Paul Zukunft, the new U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, could fill the BWT leadership void. Global efforts to combat the spread of invasive species in ballast water are hampered by a leadership void so serious that in April the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) discouraged further ratifications of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) invasive species convention. Admiral Paul Zukunft, the new U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, could fill that void and get those efforts onto the right track. The United States has been blessed with strong Coast Guard Commandants.

18 Mar 2014

The Thad Allen No-Frills Leadership Primer

FEMA Urban Search and Rescue task forces continue search operations Sept. 6, 2005, into New Orleans neighborhoods flooded by Hurricane Katrina. The US Coast Guard helped the operations by providing boats. Credit: Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

Every year there are countless books written about leadership and management, supplemented by a mountain of similarly themed magazine articles and scholarly treatises, eagerly snapped up by legions of wanna-be bosses and officers. As a culture, we are obsessed with leadership, especially leaders as heroic figures, and we are constantly seeking the right formula to make us so. But all those would-be captains of industry – and the oceans – might find it a lot easier to step away from the stacks and take a page from a leader extraordinaire…

18 Mar 2014

Thad Allen at the Helm

President Obama talks with Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who was also the National Incident Commander for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (center), and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal aboard Marine One as they fly along the coastline from Venice, La., to New Orleans on May 2, 2010. White House Photo by Pete Souza

Former USCG Admiral Thad Allen is a transformational leader in the history of the service, a rock through thick and thin. Today he talks about resource allocation, risk management and homeland security. As part of Booz Allen Hamilton’s Justice and Homeland Security business group, Executive Vice President and former U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen leads the development of thought leadership and client engagements regarding the future direction of law enforcement and homeland security. The Coast Guard is under pressure to either pare its mission mix or downscale what it does.

17 Mar 2014

USCG ... Past, Present & Future

Greg Trauthwein

Ebeneezer Scrooge would be proud. This is our annual United States Coast Guard edition, and it could best be dubbed the “Christmas Carol” edition as we examine USCG Past, USCG Present and USCG Future. First looking back (but not too far back), and in step with our continued celebration of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News’ 75th Anniversary, Patricia Keefe takes an insightful look at the times, tribulations, leadership and legacy of Thad Allen, past Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

29 Jan 2014

New Tech & Tug Training

Mass. Maritime responds to industry demand, reloads with cutting edge Transas equipment, and moves to the head of the brown water training queue. It was a dark and stormy night with choppy seas. I didn’t hit anything, but I did run aground twice while at the helm of the tug boat simulator at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) in Buzzards Bay. But then that’s the point – to let students safely make mistakes and get the closest thing to the real-life experience they need – and would have a limited shot at otherwise on the equipment they’ll be handling where the jobs are today…

20 Mar 2013

USCG

ADM Bob Papp’s Coast Guard tenure continues to be one of low profile victories, calm leadership and an emphasis on doing what is right for the Coast Guard. U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp delivered the 2013 State of the Coast Guard (SOCG) Address at the National Defense University at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C. on February 27. Adm. Papp assumed command of the Coast Guard in May of 2010, he had the unenviable task of following perhaps the most charismatic leader the Coast Guard has ever had. The high profile Thad Allen, dubbed by the mainstream media as “the rock star” Commandant, also more earned his reputation by firm leadership over the course of more than one highly visible crisis after another.

15 Mar 2012

U.S. Snub on Cutter Funds Seen as Threat

The Obama administration’s failure to budget $1.6 billion for two of the Coast Guard’s flagship vessels is drawing criticism from U.S. lawmakers, who contend that the service’s missions will be threatened. The Department of Homeland Security’s proposal for the fiscal year, beginning October1, requests $683 million to fund only the sixth of eight planned National Security Cutters, made by Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. The agency, which oversees the Coast Guard, didn’t seek funding for the remaining two cutters for fiscal years 2014 to 2017. The 418-foot-long cutters are needed to replace an aging fleet of vessels, many of which are more than 40 years old and expensive to maintain, according to the service.

10 Feb 2012

Coast Guard Foundation Announces New Leaders

Clay Maitland has served on the Foundation’s Board for 16 years.

Robert J. Flynn Elected Chairman of the Board. ADM Thad Allen and Clay Maitland among an impressive slate of of 11 others. The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that in accordance with its bylaws, a new slate of officers has been elected to serve on the Board of Trustees, beginning January 1, 2012. Robert J. Flynn was elected Chairman of the Board at the organization’s annual meeting in the fall. Joining Mr. Flynn as officers are Al J. Bernard, vice chairman; William E.

09 Jan 2012

The Center(s) of Expertise

Scott Elphison, senior marine inspector for the Coast Guard Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise, addresses students and fellow instructors in a cruise ship inspection on Oct. 31, 2009. The lesson was part of an Advanced Foreign Passenger Vessel Examination course.

U.S. Coast Guard's Safety Strategy Incorporates Tightly Focused Training at Carefully Chosen Venues. The U.S. Coast Guard opened seven National Centers of Expertise in 2009, locating three alone on the busy Gulf Coast, The concept of national centers of expertise – or “centers of excellence” – dates back to the 1960s when technology became more advanced and required new skill sets. The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps all operate such hubs, as do federal agencies, foreign governments and industries ranging from manufacturing to health care.

14 Jun 2011

Arctic Spill “Response Gap” Under the Microscope

Make no mistake about it: the Arctic is open for business. The cumulative environmental footprint of oil exploration outfits, merchant shipping, mining, eco-tourism and the cruise ship trades is thus far minor, but the potential for an exponential increase in commerce – especially if the climate trends now affecting the region continue – is seemingly limitless. For the maritime industry, the down side to this is as big as the most promising business opportunity to come along in decades. The utility of a Northern Sea Route that follows the Siberian coastline, producing impressive time and fuel savings, a reduced emissions footprint, and elimination of canal transit fees for shippers moving goods between Europe and Asia has already been proven.

14 Jan 2011

Nat’l Commission Says: Jones Act No Hinderance to Spill Clean Up

The January 11, 2011 report from the non-partisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling confirmed the Jones Act did not prevent foreign vessels from assisting with the clean-up effort during the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year. “Deep Water: The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling” was prepared by the independent entity at the request of President Barack Obama. “While decision makers did decline to purchase some foreign equipment for operational reasons ‒ for example, Dutch vessels that would have taken weeks to outfit and sail to the region, and a Taiwanese super-skimmer that was expensive and highly inefficient in the Gulf ‒ they did not reject foreign ships because of Jones Act restrictions…

04 Oct 2010

Admiral Thad Allen Join RAND as Senior Fellow

Adm. Thad W. Allen announced that after completing his service as national incident commander of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, he will join the RAND Corporation as a senior fellow, effective Oct. “Thad Allen has served the U.S. government and U.S. Coast Guard with great distinction,” said RAND President and CEO James A. Thomson. “We are delighted he will continue to take on the most difficult policy challenges as a RAND senior fellow. Allen was scheduled to join RAND in May 2010, shortly after he retired as commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. But his transition was delayed when he was asked by President Obama to manage the oil spill emergency response and clean-up, for which his leadership has been widely praised.

17 Sep 2010

Statement on Macondo Relief Well Intercept

"I have received extensive briefings over the last 24 hours regarding the final effort to intercept the Macondo well. Through a combination of sensors embedded in the drilling equipment and sophisticated instrumentation that is capable of sensing distance to the well casing, BP engineers and the federal science team have concluded that the Development Driller III relief well has intersected the Macondo well. This determination was made based on a loss of drilling fluids that indicated communication had been established beyond the relief well, the pressure exerted against the drill bit as it came in contact with the well casing and, finally, an increase in pressure in the choke line of the Macondo well blow out preventer.

07 Sep 2010

Damaged Blow Out Preventer Removed

Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas Blue, U.S. Coast Guard

National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen, said Sept. 4, 2010, "The damaged Blow Out Preventer (BOP), along with the Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) Cap, have been removed from the Gulf of Mexico and are currently on board the Q4000. The BOP is considered evidentiary material, and is now under the supervision of the Deepwater Horizon Criminal Investigation Team and FBI Evidence Recovery Team."

05 Aug 2010

Statement by NIC Admiral Thad Allen

Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander, made the following statement on August 4: "Based on the successful completion of the static kill procedure and a positive evaluation of the test results, I have authorized BP to cement its damaged well. I made it clear that implementation of this procedure shall in no way delay the completion of the relief well."

04 Aug 2010

Adm. Allen Reports on Static Kill Ops

Personnel aboard the Q4000 proceed with a static kill by conducting pressure tests prior to starting the flow of mud through the temporary cap into the well Aug. 3, 2010. The Q4000 is maintianing station within one meter of its current position to facilitate the operations over 5,000 feet below. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

On August 3, National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen provided a briefing to inform the American public and answer questions on the administration-wide response to the BP oil spill. Admiral Allen reported on preparations for the static diagnostics test, or “static kill,” which BP has since conducted. While the static diagnostics test will provide more information about well integrity and improves the probability of success for the relief well, Allen stressed the importance of the relief well to ultimately kill the well.

14 Jul 2010

MCTF: False Jones Act Criticism Distracts from Clean-up

The Maritime Cabotage Task Force (MCTF) said that recent Jones Act criticism is false and is only distracting from the job of cleaning up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Responding to these misleading and inaccurate claims, those leading and coordinating the response as well as independent news organizations have said that the Jones Act is not preventing or delaying foreign vessels’ ability to assist with cleaning the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Jones Act mandates the use of American vessels and American workers in U.S. domestic maritime trade. However, it does not impede foreign oil skimmers, which are already being used in the clean-up effort. Retired U.S.

12 Jul 2010

Gulf Oil Spill Awareness Workshop, July 21

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk in conjunction with the Connecticut Maritime Association and supported by The Connecticut Audubon Society and Mystic Aquarium will host an evening seminar on the challenges of responding to a major oil spill. The program, while shaped by the three organizations, is in fact the product of a high school student led initiative entitled e3. Standing for education, environment and energy the initiative is the result of a desire to develop something positive on a local level to the tragic spill going on in the US Gulf. The evening seminar will demonstrate some of the heroic and practiced response efforts being applied by industry and local communities to the environmental attack.