HOULTON, Maine — For the past 95 years, agents with the United States Border Patrol have done their part to keep the boundaries between the U.S. and foregin countries safe from harm.
A celebration was held Tuesday, May 28, at Houlton’s Monument Park to mark the 95th birthday of the department.
On May 28, 1924, the U.S. Border Patrol was officially formed and every year a celebration is held to commemorate the event, according to Mark Phillips, public affairs liaison, for the Border Patrol.
“This year, we decided to take our event out into the public and make it more of a public celebration,” he said. “Events such as this are more common along the southern border. Our new Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens, when he came up here (to Houlton), this type of event is one of the things he wanted to bring with him.”
Owens took over the Houlton sector in February, becoming the 26th chief patrol agent
at the sector.
Phillips said the Border Patrol’s goal is to involve the community as much as possible, since most of the agents reside in the local communities.
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- The United States Border Patrol celebrated its 95th birthday Tuesday in Houlton with a celebration in Monument Park. (Joseph Cyr)
The Houlton Middle School band performed a number of songs during Tuesday’s event, which included a number of vehicles and displays. Free cookies and cupcakes, decorated in the gold and green colors of the Border Patrol, were available to the public.
“Every one of our agents that are here today is on hand to answer any questions the public might have,” Phillips said. “We want people to feel comfortable approaching our agents with any questions or concerns.”
Included in the celebration was a badge-pinning ceremony for the group’s Explorer program and a recognition for CJ Violette, a sophomore at Houlton Middle-High School, who was named the National Explorer of the Year.
Much has changed over the 95 years of service. Gone are the days of covering Aroostook County with motorcycles. Today, agents have a variety of all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and water crafts to aid in their patrols.
Border Patrol agents are responsible for securing the border between the 19 crossing stations in Maine, not at the border crossings themselves. At peak capacity, the Houlton Sector has about 212 agents on staff. That number, however, fluctuates and has been as low as 180 at times.
Essentially the entire state is considered part of the Border Patrol’s jurisdiction. By definition, Maine is a border state and the entire state is within a 100-mile radius making the entire state the responsibility of the Houlton Sector. The 300-mile coastline as the crow flies translates to 3,500 miles of area to patrol.
