9/11, Katrina, and the Future of Interagency Disaster Response: Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant, United States Coast Guard

On May 29, the Brookings Institution’s 21st Century Defense Initiative hosted Admiral Thad W. Allen for a discussion of how the U.S. Coast Guard can contribute to enhanced unity of interagency responses to disasters.

Admiral Allen has first-hand experience with the challenges of interagency collaboration. In 2001, he led the Coast Guard Atlantic Area operations in response to the 9/11 attacks, and in 2005, he was the principal federal official for Hurricane Katrina response in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. In his long and distinguished career, he has served in both coastal and offshore positions, internationally and at home. Admiral Allen graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1971. He holds master’s degrees from George Washington University and the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.