Ronald S. Colburn, former jefe of the Nogales Border Patrol Station, announced his upcoming retirement in November after 31 years of government service.

As part of an effort to increase border security, Colburn, left, met with Janet Napolitano and President George W. Bush.

Colburn, now deputy chief of Border Patrol, “truly epitomizes” the agency, said David V. Aguilar, national chief of the Border Patrol.

In July 2007, Colburn was appointed as the Senior Executive Service Deputy Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, and the second highest-ranking official in the Border Patrol.

Colburn began his career with the Border Patrol in 1978 as an agent in Douglas. In January 1983, he was promoted to Supervisory Border Patrol Agent and served as a law instructor and course developer at the Border Patrol Academy. In May 1984, Colburn became a founding member of the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), a global special-response team that is one of the premier tactical units in law enforcement. He served as a team leader on domestic and international missions.

In April 1985, Colburn arrived in Nogales and served as a first-line supervisor through 1988 He later transferred to Watertown, N.Y., as the Patrol Agent in Charge.

� “I have many fond memories of working and living in the Santa Cruz County area. I was fortunate to own or live in homes and temporary quarters in Nogales, Rio Rico, Tubac and Patagonia,” Colburn said in an e-mail.

Colburn returned again to Southern Arizona in 1994 as the Patrol Agent In Charge of the Sonoita Station. Colburn was recognized as ”Federal Manager of the Year” by the Southern Arizona Federal Executives Association (SAFEA) for these accomplishments in April 1995. He was also named “Law Enforcement Officer of the Year” for 1995 by the Green Valley Sons of the American Revolution. He was later promoted to assistant chief in Tucson before transferring to Washington, D.C., as an associate chief at Border Patrol headquarters in 2002.

The Colburn family has an extensive connection with the Border Patrol and its history.� Beginning in the early 1900s, William Colburn, the deputy’s grandfather, patroled the border on horseback as a member of the “Mounted Guard.”�  In 1956, his father Richard followed suit and joined the Border Patrol, serving in various positions until 1981.� Lastly, the deputy’s son entered on duty as a fourth-generation border protector in June 2003 and is serving as a supervisory Border Patrol agent in Arizona.

Upon retiring, Colburn will reside with his family in Arizona.