[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 60 (Thursday, May 5, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S2746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 170--HONORING ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN OF THE UNITED STATES
COAST GUARD (RET.) FOR HIS LIFETIME OF SELFLESS COMMITMENT AND
EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On Page S2746, May 5, 2011, in the first column, the following
appears: SENATE RESOLUTION 170 ``HONORING THAD ALLEN OF THE UNITED
STATES COAST GUARD''
The Record has been corrected to read: SENATE RESOLUTION 170
``HONORING ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD''
========================= END NOTE =========================
Mr. COCHRAN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:
S. Res. 170
Whereas Admiral Thad Allen, the 23rd Commandant of the
United States Coast Guard, retired from the Coast Guard on
June 30, 2010, after 39 distinguished years of service;
Whereas Admiral Allen graduated from the United States
Coast Guard Academy in 1971 and served in a number of
capacities, including serving as the Principal Federal
Official for response and recovery operation for Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita, Coast Guard Chief of Staff, and most
recently as National Incident Commander for the Deepwater
Horizon Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico;
Whereas Admiral Allen commanded with distinction the
foremost Coast Guard in the world from 2006 to 2010 and has
embodied the Coast Guard's enduring values of honor, respect,
and devotion to duty;
Whereas Admiral Allen, during his tenure as Commandant,
focused the Coast Guard on modernization and improved
readiness in responding to natural disasters;
Whereas Admiral Allen, during his tenure as Commandant,
worked to ensure the safety of professional mariners and
millions of recreational and commercial vessels, facilitate
commerce, protect the ports and maritime infrastructure of
the United States from terrorism, conduct humanitarian
operations, protect our marine environment, secure United
States borders, combat drug trafficking, support anti-piracy
efforts, and support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom;
Whereas Admiral Allen demonstrated the vision and
transformational leadership that will provide the United
States with a Coast Guard that is not only capable of meeting
and exceeding the ever-changing maritime challenges of the
United States, but also able to better anticipate future
challenges and missions;
Whereas Admiral Allen provided steady leadership in times
of crisis;
Whereas as Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th President of the
United States once said, ``The qualities of a great man are
vision, integrity, courage, understanding, the power of
articulation, and profundity of character''; and
Whereas as we bid fair winds and following seas to Admiral
Allen, it is appropriate that he be remembered as
exemplifying such trademark characteristics exhibited by
great leaders: Now therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(a) recognizes and honors Admiral Thad Allen of the United
States Coast Guard (retired), on behalf of a grateful Nation,
for his lifetime of selfless commitment and exemplary
service; and
(b) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an
enrolled copy of this resolution to Admiral Thad Allen.
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to submit a resolution today
to honor the distinguished 39-year career of ADM Thad Allen, retired
Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Our Nation's first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton,
observed that ``a few armed vessels, judiciously stationed at the
entrance of our ports, might at a small expense be made useful
sentinels of the laws.'' These words inspired the creation of the
modern day U.S. Coast Guard. More than 200 years later, the Coast Guard
is today dutifully executing its diverse and challenging missions,
demonstrating their dual functionality as both a military service and a
law enforcement authority.
Despite limited resources and a broadened scope of responsibility,
the Coast Guard has risen to the increased challenges it faces. Time
and time again, the men and women of the Coast Guard prove the value of
their presence and their important role in protecting the public, as
well as the environmental, economic, and security interests of the
United States.
For almost four decades, Admiral Allen dedicated himself to these
missions and capped his career by providing meritorious leadership to
our Nation's oldest continuous seagoing service.
Thad Allen was born and raised in Tucson, AZ. His parents were chief
damage controlman Clyde Allen and Wilma Allen. After graduating from
the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1971, he served in a variety of
assignments, eventually becoming Commandant. He often refers to himself
as the ``unlikely admiral.''
It has been said before, and I think it is worth repeating: ``When
times are at their worst, the Coast Guard is at its best.'' Admiral
Allen deserves credit for providing the leadership skills that allowed
that statement to remain true during some of the most difficult times
for our Nation in recent years.
I came to know Thad Allen in a time of hardship. My home State of
Mississippi and other Gulf Coast States had just experienced two of the
deadliest hurricanes in our Nation's history in Katrina and Rita. He
was the principal Federal official for response and recovery from those
natural disasters. I will never forget the destruction we witnessed--
homes, schools, and big oak trees that had stood for decades were
completely leveled. But through his efforts and those of the brave men
and women throughout the Coast Guard, over 33,500 gulf coast residents
were rescued from rooftops and flooded homes.
Admiral Allen proved himself to be a man of not just sterling
courage, with compassion to match, but also a man of great integrity
and an enormous capacity for hard work. He is a direct reflection of
the guardian ethos and an inspiration of those who have had the good
fortune to work with him.
Admiral Allen will, of course, be the first to say that the brave men
and women throughout the ranks of the Coast Guard are the ones who
deserve the credit for success. He has made a habit of openly praising
their sacrifice and often thankless service.
Today, I am proud to say that my State, due in part to his leadership
and those Coast Guard men and women who have served under him, has made
a great deal of progress in recovering from the most severe natural
disasters in our Nation's history.
As the Coast Guard's motto is ``Semper Paratus''--always ready--
Admiral Allen is an embodiment of that motto. We do not need to look
back too far to find an example, most recently, when the President
selected him to serve as national incident commander in the wake of the
Deepwater Horizon oilspill in the Gulf of Mexico. Admiral Allen stood
ready and provided resolute leadership, overseeing the Federal
Government's response efforts and remaining on Active Duty for an
additional 3 months past his slated retirement.
In Mississippi, we are grateful for the service and leadership of ADM
Thad Allen, which will be long remembered and appreciated. I know the
admiral and his family will enjoy the new opportunities that come with
retirement, in addition to a well-earned respite from the demands and
challenges of his exemplary career in the U.S. Coast Guard.
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