Coast Guard Commandant to Address Haiti Response in Annual Address

National Press Club to Host Admiral Allen's State of the Coast Guard Speech, Feb. 12

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Admiral Thad W. Allen, the 23rd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, will deliver his final State of the Coast Guard address, outlining the service's 2010 priorities at a National Club Speakers luncheon Friday, Feb. 12.

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Adm. Allen will discuss the Coast Guard's response and ongoing role in Haiti, in light of his role as principal federal official (PFO) overseeing federal response to Hurricane Katrina. Allen will highlight the Coast Guard's ability to leverage interagency partnerships, quickly flow forces to vulnerable areas, and take action without having to wait for external orders. He will also talk about fiscal year 2011 anticipated budget impacts, and call for recapitalization of the service's aging ships, aircraft and shore facilities.

As Commandant since 2006, Allen is chief of the nation's lead agency for maritime law enforcement and leads the largest component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), comprised of about 42,000 men and women on Active Duty, 7,000 civilians, 8,000 Reservists and 34,000 volunteer Auxiliarists. Allen is a top U.S. official in charge of national drug interdiction and anti-piracy efforts, Chairman of the Office of National Drug Control Policy's Interdiction Committee, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The National Press Club luncheon will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. Allen's Remarks will begin just after 1 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session. Cost of luncheon admission is $17 for National Press Club members, $28 for their guests and $35 for general admission. Reserve tickets by calling 202-662-7501, or by e-mailing [email protected] The National Press Club is located at 14th and F Streets, NW, one block west of Metro Center.

MEDIA NOTE: Following remarks, Allen will be available to meet with media in attendance. Media covering the event may contact Melissa Charbonneau at [email protected] with questions.

UPCOMING NPC LUNCHEONS:

Feb. 8 – Sec. Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Feb. 12 - Admiral Thad W. Allen, Coast Guard Commandant

March 5 - The Honorable Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts

March 9 - Ambassador Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative

March 15 - The Honorable Dick Armey, Chairman, Freedom Works

April 5 - Douglas Shulman, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service

April 12 - Dennis Quaid, The Quaid Foundation

The National Press Club, founded in 1908, has an estimated 3,500 members in Washington and worldwide. Widely known for its Speakers Luncheon Series televised by C-SPAN and broadcasted on XM Radio, the NPC also is Washington's most frequently used venue for news conferences. The NPC conducts an aggressive program of professional education for journalists, funds journalism scholarships, and operates the nation's only non-academic research library for journalists.

SOURCE National Press Club