Army Special Forces Green Beret Colonel and combat veteran Colby Jenkins, born and raised in Roosevelt, Utah, knew from a young age that service to his nation and community was important. As the son of patriotic, service-oriented parents, Colby saw firsthand how his family’s dedication to their community, including his father’s service on the city council and later as Mayor, could allow one person to improve the lives of those around them. While considering his own future path, Colby took further inspiration from his grandfather, a member of the “greatest generation,” and his service during World War Two. Seeing military service, and specifically going to the United States Military Academy at West Point, as an ideal path, Colby sought a congressional nomination and gained an appointment to West Point, thus launching him on a career of service to the nation.

Upon graduating from West Point, Colby became an airborne Ranger-qualified infantry officer before trying out for and being selected to become a Special Forces Green Beret. As a Special Forces Green Beret Detachment Commander, Colby led his Special Forces A-team on multiple global deployments, including combat in Afghanistan and later various training, counter-drug, and hostage rescue operations throughout South America, including the jungles of Colombia.

Colby’s experience in combat and leading his Special Forces A-team opened new opportunities to serve beyond the fields of battle. The four-star commanding general of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) hand-selected Colby to initiate a new congressional fellowship program that included graduate school in Washington D.C. and working in a U.S. Senator’s office. Colby would be the first Special Operations Forces officer to do so for USSOCOM, creating a path for many others to follow. After Colby’s work in the U.S. Senate and completing graduate school, Colby continued his work on Capitol Hill as a Green Beret liaison to Congress. This experience took him from the halls of Congress to around the world with members of Congress and staff. Colby later worked in the Pentagon as a counter-terrorism policy advisor to the Secretary of Defense, coordinating critical efforts between the White House, Pentagon, Capitol Hill, and other interagency partners to advance American interests.

After completing his active-duty military service Colby transitioned to the Army National Guard and now Reserves where he has continued his military service for more than two decades. During his civilian career, Colby remained active in the legislative arena working for several years in the Pentagon as the senior civilian legislative strategic advisor to the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s #2 military leader. Simultaneously, Colby taught as an adjunct professor in George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management. Following his years of service and work in Washington, DC, Colby jumped to the corporate tech world working for Google at Google headquarters and later other innovation and entrepreneurial entities in both Silicon Valley and ultimately southern Utah.

Recognizing the deficit of military combat veterans serving in Congress, combined with the disastrous retreat from Afghanistan and other national security policy blunders, Colby seeks to lend his experience to correct our nation’s standing in the world and take the goodness of Utah’s Congressional District #2 (CD2), where he resides, to Congress. Colby also sees the overreach of the federal government into CD2. Colby will harness his experiences in combat, team building, corporate business, and years of working at our nation’s highest levels to limit the federal government’s reach into CD2 while empowering local leaders to have the freedom and decision-making space they need. Colby resides in St. George, Utah, where he serves as the Director of Tech Integration for a national telecommunications company while continuing his more than two decades of military service as a Colonel in the Army Reserve.