Houlton sector receives largest intern class for Maine

The United States Border Patrol, Houlton sector headquarters received 19 new border patrol agents for the state of Maine. The new agents were hired as part of the Northern Border Intern Program that allows new border patrol agents to be stationed in northern border locations.
    The interns will be required to attend the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, N.M. for approximately five months and then will receive additional training while working in the El Paso, Texas. sector for an additional nine and a half months. They will then return to duty stations throughout the state of Maine.
The 19 new agents represent the largest class of northern border interns to ever enter on duty in the state, since the hiring opportunity became available in July of 2008.
As a first priority, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Mark A. Herring administered the oath of office to the new border patrol agents. The new agents will complete various administrative forms and depart to El Paso to join additional members in their training session. After completing additional paperwork in El Paso, the new agents will begin training at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia. The completion of the basic U.S. Border Patrol Academy training is approximately three months, with an additional two months if interns require Spanish language training.
Houlton sector has received five additional northern border intern classes since the first class session entered on duty on October 1, 2008. A total of 55 Border Patrol agents are currently in the Northern Border Intern Program for Houlton sector and the first session is scheduled to return to Maine in mid-December.
The Northern Border Intern Program was made available in a recruiting effort to increase agent staffing along the northern border and enhance border security. Houlton sector has increased agent personnel with the use of transfers, promotions and this program.
In order to accommodate the increased number of Border Patrol agents in the state of Maine, Houlton sector is currently working with the General Services Administration (GSA) on the construction of two new Border Patrol stations in Rangeley and Fort Fairfield. The Rangeley Border Patrol Station is scheduled to be completed in September of this year and the Fort Fairfield Border Patrol Station is scheduled to be completed in October.
Construction on new Border Patrol stations in Calais, Jackman and Van Buren was completed in 2007 and 2008. Houlton sector has continued to increase and improve border security within the state of Maine with infrastructure, technology and the addition Border Patrol agents.