# Colby Jenkins > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Colby_Jenkins > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Colby_Jenkins.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colby_Jenkins > Source revision: 1350873289 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American politician and military officer}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Colby C. Jenkins | image = Colby C. Jenkins.jpg | caption = Official portrait, 2025 | office = Acting [Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict](/source/Assistant_Secretary_of_Defense_for_Special_Operations_and_Low-Intensity_Conflict) | president = [Donald Trump](/source/Donald_Trump) | term_start = January 20, 2025 | term_end = August 25, 2025 | predecessor = [Christopher Maier](/source/Christopher_Maier) | successor = [Derrick Anderson](/source/Derrick_Anderson_(politician)) | birth_date = | birth_name = Colby C. Jenkins | birth_place = [Roosevelt, Utah](/source/Roosevelt%2C_Utah), U.S. | party = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) | allegiance = United States | branch = [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) | service_years = 2000-2011 | rank = [Colonel](/source/colonel_(United_States)) | unit = [United States Army Special Forces](/source/United_States_Army_Special_Forces) }} '''Colby Jenkins''' is an American official of the [United States Department of Defense](/source/United_States_Department_of_Defense){{cite news |title= COLBY C. JENKINS |url= https://www.war.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/Article/4048594/colby-c-jenkins/ |work=[United States Department of Defense](/source/United_States_Department_of_Defense) |access-date=January 20, 2026 }} who served as acting [Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict](/source/Assistant_Secretary_of_Defense_for_Special_Operations_and_Low-Intensity_Conflict) from January to August 2025.{{cite web |last1=Baldor |first1=Lolita |title= Pentagon official: US military has no authority to do drone strikes on drug cartels in Mexico |url= https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-drone-strikes-drug-cartels-mexico-33af0ea4c766335a3778454f86b3777b |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |language=en |date=April 8, 2025}} He was a candidate in the [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) primary for {{ushr|UT|2}} in [2024](/source/2024_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Utah), narrowly losing to incumbent [Celeste Maloy](/source/Celeste_Maloy).{{cite news |last=McKellar|first=Katie |date=July 9, 2024 |title=Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy declares victory, but Colby Jenkins on track for a recount|url= https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2024/07/09/utah-rep-celeste-maloy-declares-victory-colby-jenkins-recount/|work=[Utah News Dispatch](/source/Utah_News_Dispatch) |access-date=January 20, 2026 }} == Early life and education == Jenkins was born and raised in [Roosevelt, Utah](/source/Roosevelt%2C_Utah). He is a graduate of the [United States Military Academy](/source/United_States_Military_Academy).{{cite news |last=Gehrke|first=Robert |date=February 4, 2025 |title=Colby Jenkins joins Trump administration in Pentagon role|url= https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/02/04/colby-jenkins-joins-donald-trump/|work=[The Salt Lake Tribune](/source/The_Salt_Lake_Tribune) |access-date=January 21, 2026 }} == Career == While serving in the [Army](/source/United_States_Army) for 11 years, Jenkins became a [Green Beret](/source/United_States_Army_Special_Forces). He went on to lead special forces teams in [Afghanistan](/source/Afghanistan) and [South America](/source/South_America). Upon leaving active service, Jenkins joined the [National Guard](/source/National_Guard) and began teaching at [George Washington University](/source/George_Washington_University). He later worked in the tech industry for [Google](/source/Google).{{cite web |last1=Poonia |first1=Gitanjali |title= Former Utah congressional candidate takes on new role at the Pentagon |url= https://www.deseret.com/politics/2025/02/18/colby-jenkins-pentagon-new-role/ |access-date=January 20, 2026 |work=[Deseret News](/source/Deseret_News) |language=en |date=February 18, 2026}} Jenkins challenged incumbent [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) [U.S. Representative](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) [Celeste Maloy](/source/Celeste_Maloy) in the [2024](/source/2024_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Utah) election for {{ushr|UT|2}}.{{cite web |last1=Tomco |first1=Brigham |title= Sen. Rand Paul endorses Colby Jenkins in his run against Rep. Celeste Maloy |url= https://www.deseret.com/utah/2024/05/14/senator-rand-paul-endorses-colby-jenkins-in-utah-congressional-race/ |access-date=January 24, 2026 |work=[Deseret News](/source/Deseret_News) |language=en |date=May 14, 2024}} The race was so close that he requested a recount of the results. After the recount, it was confirmed that he lost to Maloy by 176 votes.{{cite web |last1=McKellar |first1=Katie |title= Rep. Celeste Maloy wins recount of Utah's 2nd Congressional District race by 176 votes |url= https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2024/08/05/rep-celeste-maloy-wins-recount-of-utahs-2nd-congressional-district-race-by-176-votes/ |access-date=January 24, 2026 |work=[Utah News Dispatch](/source/Utah_News_Dispatch) |language=en |date=August 5, 2024}} In January 2025, President [Donald Trump](/source/Donald_Trump) appointed Jenkins as acting [Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict](/source/Assistant_Secretary_of_Defense_for_Special_Operations_and_Low-Intensity_Conflict).{{cite web |last1=Forbis |first1=Kristin |title= Roosevelt Native Serving On Trump Administration Defense Team |url= https://www.basinnow.com/roosevelt-native-serving-on-trump-administration-defense-team/ |access-date=January 24, 2025 |work=[Basin Now](/source/KVEL) |language=en |date=February 19, 2025}} He left office on August 25, 2025.{{cite web |title= Department of Defense Key Officials |url= https://history.defense.gov/Portals/70/Documents/key_officials/KeyOfficials-2025-12-05.pdf |access-date=January 24, 2025 |work=[United States Department of Defense](/source/United_States_Department_of_Defense) |language=en |date=December 2025}} == References == {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Colby}} Category:Living people Category:People from Roosevelt, Utah Category:Utah Republicans Category:United States Military Academy alumni Category:United States Army officers Category:United States Department of Defense officials Category:Second Trump administration personnel Category:Year of birth missing (living people) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Colby Jenkins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colby_Jenkins) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colby_Jenkins?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.