The DoD Roundtable had the privilege of interviewing the Coast Guard commandant, Admiral Allen prior to his retirement this year. Admiral Thad W. Allen assumed the duties of the 23rd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on May 25th, 2006. The Coast Guard is 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 and is the fifth military service. I spent several tours in the Air Force combat rescue world and my Coast Guard contacts were always extremely professional and they often accomplished much with few resources. Visits to Coast Guard…