Notable Coast Guardsmen
Main article: List of U.S. Coast Guard peopleNumerous celebrities have served in the Coast Guard including tennis player Jack Kramer, golfer Arnold Palmer, All Star baseball player Sid Gordon, boxer Jack Dempsey, musicians Kai Winding, Rudy Vallee, Derroll Adams, and Tom Waits, actors Buddy Ebsen, Sid Caesar, Victor Mature, Richard Cromwell, Alan Hale, Jr., William Hopper, Jeff Bridges, Cesar Romero and author Alex Haley.
Vice Admiral Thad Allen in 2005 was named Principal Federal Officer to oversee recovery efforts in the Gulf Region after Hurricane Katrina. After promotion to Admiral, on the eve of his retirement as Commandant, Allen again received national visibility after being named National Incident Commander overseeing the response efforts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Former Coast Guard officers have been appointed to numerous civilian government offices. After retiring as Commandant of the Coast Guard in 2002, Admiral James Loy went on to serve as administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and later as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Admiral Loy was by no means the only Coast Guard officer who was later appointed to a civilian government position; following his Coast Guard career, Carlton Skinner served as the first Civilian Governor of Guam, G. William Miller, 65th Secretary of the Treasury was a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, and retired Vice Admiral Harvey E. Johnson, Jr. served as Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under President George W. Bush. Rear Admiral Stephen W. Rochon was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the Director of the Executive Residence and White House Chief Usher, beginning service on March 12, 2007, and continues to serve in the same capacity under President Barack Obama.
Two Coast Guard aviators, Commander Bruce E. Melnick and Captain Daniel C. Burbank, have served as NASA astronauts.
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