All deputies must possess commitment, dedication, and a desire to serve. Deputy Sheriff Duane Forsberg exemplifies these qualities.

Before joining the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) in early 2024, he served for 25 years in the United States Marine Corps, retiring out of battalion command as a lieutenant colonel shortly after his fourth combat deployment to Iraq.

Lieutenant colonels are the second-highest ranking field-grade officers in the Marine Corps, directly leading a battalion of more than 700 Marines and overseeing complex, highly dangerous field missions and tactical operations. 

Forsberg initially joined MCSO as the logistics and evidence manager. He quickly established a reputation for professionalism, efficiency, and sound practice, earning respect with command members and colleagues alike.

In May that same year, he attended MCSO’s annual fallen deputy memorial. It had a profound impact on him and was the catalyst for what would be a momentous career pivot.

In September, he attended the 20th anniversary reunion for 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California. The reunion was specifically for Marines and sailors who served in the infantry battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom I and II.

OIF-I was the initial invasion of Iraq, and for many in his battalion, their first time experiencing combat. 

“In training you can attempt to replicate the realism of combat operations,” explains Deputy Forsberg, “but until you hear the eerie sounds of rounds flying past you, it is difficult to be fully prepared.”

The battalion returned home in September 2003 and enjoyed a period of inactivity which ended abruptly when they were scheduled to return to Iraq in May 2004. 

                 (Bottom row, fourth from left) Deputy Duane Forsberg as a captain in the Marine Corps, Iraq, 2004.

“Having combat experience, collectively we felt more prepared – or at least, we thought we were,” reflects Deputy Forsberg.

For 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, OIF-II included the Battle of Najaf (August 2004) and Fallujah II/Operation PHANTOM FURY (November – December 2004). These campaigns are recorded as the most brutal urban clashes of the Iraqi War, with Operation Phantom Fury marking the heaviest urban combat for the U.S. military in more than 30 years. 

“I felt as though I had developed the ability to persevere through the most difficult of times, however, I quickly came to understand what true resiliency entailed,” he said.

All members of the battalion made sacrifices during those grueling, terrifying months, with some paying the ultimate price for their duty, and our freedom.

Part of the September 2024 reunion was the traditional hike up to the top of the Camp Horno ridgeline, carrying rocks representing their fallen brothers. At the peak of the ridge is a memorial where crosses stand tall before the vista of the Pacific Ocean.

                         The 1^st Battalion 4^th Marines Memorial honors those from whom combat took everything.

Forsberg felt compelled to wear his MCSO ball cap on the hike. He wanted a piece of his new family, that he represented proudly, to be part of this significant event.

“As tradition calls for, I laid the rocks at the base of the cross - one for each Marine who was killed in action while under my charge,” says Forsberg. “They say that time heals all wounds. I do not agree; I have found that time helps to process and compartmentalize wounds, but they never fully heal.”

He left another memento. After the fallen deputy memorial in May, which had so deeply moved him, Honor Guard supervisor Sergeant Bryan White presented Forsberg with an MCSO Honor Guard challenge coin. Forsberg placed that coin at the base of the cross as a symbol of respect for the risks our patrol and corrections deputies experience daily.

Upon his return, Forsberg reflected on the last verse of the Marines’ Hymn:

“If the Army and the Navy ever look on Heaven’s scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines.”

Missing the camaraderie of being on a team dedicated to service, Forbserg remarked to a colleague that he was not prepared to guard the streets of Heaven just yet, but that it may be time for him to patrol the streets of the community that he called home.

Forsberg successfully applied to be a deputy sheriff and was sworn in on March 3, 2025. At his graduation from the basic police training DPSST Academy, Deputy Forsberg received the Victor G. Atiyeh Award as the outstanding student of his class and was elected to be class speaker.

In his graduation speech, Deputy Forsberg spoke about resiliency being a learned attribute that strengthens your inner core of mental and moral fortitude.

                                                           Deputy Forsberg delivers his DPSST graduation class speech.

“I say this not as a father figure, but as your brother. I am so very proud of your accomplishments,” he told his classmates. “And you provided a level of camaraderie that filled a hole in my heart.”

Deputy Forsberg is loyal both on duty and off. He is devoted to his wife of 28 years, and – an avid skater – enjoys skateboarding with their college-aged daughter as often as possible.

He prioritizes his physical and mental health.

“I don’t ever watch war or military movies or play online games that involve combat,” he says. “I don’t need to see it, hear it, or play it. I’ve lived it.”

Deputy Forsberg has learned to process events and emotions, rather than to try and escape or ignore them. He says it is the best way to keep present in his new role as a deputy, unhindered by past experiences.

Assigned to night shift, he revels in the strong bonds he has developed with his fellow deputies and his sergeants.

“I love being part of this team,” he says. “Even though there are skills and attributes from my military career which are useful, the role is very different, and it is exciting to learn.”

                                                                     Deputy Duane Forsberg: always loyal, always learning.