U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Visits Ireland

Admiral Thad W Allen, the Commandant of the US Coast Guard (USCG) has paid a courtesy visit to meet the Director of the Irish Coast Guard, Chris Reynolds this week.

As part of the visit, Admiral Allen met with volunteers of the Irish Coast Guard Unit in Howth.  

Among those present to meet the Admiral were Julie O'Neill, Secretary General of the Department of Transport, Colin Murray officer in charge of Howth Coast Guard and Rupert Jeffers operations manager of Howth RNLI. Members of the Howth Coast Guard Unit were also in attendance.

Admiral Allen assumed the duties of the 23rd Commandant of the US Coast Guard on May 25, 2006. 

As such, he leads the largest component of the Department of Homeland Security. This consists of about 42,000 men and women on active duty, 7,000 civilians, 8,000 reservists and 34,000 volunteer auxiliaries. 

The US Coast Guard is America's oldest continuous seagoing service. 

It is a Federal law enforcement agency, as well as a branch of the armed forces.

The US Coast Guard serves the American people by saving lives and property at sea; ensuring the safety of thousands of professional mariners and millions of recreational and commercial vessels. 

It protects US ports and maritime infrastructure from terrorism, secures it's borders, maintaining aids to navigation, responds to natural disasters, defending the nation, conducts humanitarian operations, protecting the US marine environment, and keeps shipping routes open and clear of hazards.

The Coast Guard motto is "Semper Paratus" - Always Ready to respond to All Hazards - All Threats.

In his thirty eight years of service, Admiral Allen has held operational command both at sea and ashore, conducting missions to support the maritime safety, security and environmental stewardship interests of the US.

As a Flag Officer, he served with great distinction as the Principal Federal Official for response and recovery operations for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, while also serving as the Coast Guard Chief of Staff.

Today, Admiral Allen is leading the US Coast Guard through significant modernisation to better organise, train, equip, and deploy their men and women to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. Admiral Allen is a native of Tucson, Arizona.