Riverside, California - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations Center (AMOC) based on March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of their new building.
“Today we are celebrating an important milestone. Our critical mission toils silently in the background keeping watch over our national leadership, supporting special events, collaborating with international partners and unblinking over-watch of our nation’s non-commercial air and maritime environments,” said Tony D. Crowder, AMOC Executive Director.
The AMOC is an international, multi-domain, federal law enforcement center that strengthens the execution of CBP’s global mission. The operational role of AMOC is continually expanding to meet emerging national security requirements and support priority missions of The Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The AMOC had an urgent and critical need for additional facility space to support immediate and intermediate expansion needs due to mission growth and concomitant increase in personnel and operational systems. In fiscal year 2015 appropriation from Congress, personnel numbers at AMOC increased by 65 personnel for a total of 273. An additional 121 personnel are expected expand staffing levels through fiscal year 2021.
In an effort to accommodate this growth, AMOC worked with Facilities Management Engineering to design and construct a 22,000-square-foot facility, Building 605C, on the AMOC campus. The new building will house AMOC’s Information Technology staff, equipment, and the AMOC Security element.
Loren Flossman Director of Border Patrol and Air and Marine Program Management Office (BPAM-PMO) delivered the “symbolic key” of the new building to AMOC Director.
“I have always been impressed with the mission and scope of our AMOC brothers. The AMOC professionals are watching our borders from a surface of 18,000 feet and directing a response activity to any threat that they detect,” said Brigadier General Russell A. Muncy, March ARB; United States Air Force Reserve.
“This may look like a new building to some, but to us it is a critical mission enabler. It is a dream fulfilled,” concluded Mr. Crowder.
AMOC is an operational component of CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO). AMO is a federal law enforcement organization dedicated to serving and protecting the American people through advanced aeronautical and maritime capabilities.
AMO interdicts unlawful people and cargo approaching U.S. borders, investigates criminal networks and provides domain awareness in the air and maritime environments, and responds to contingencies and national taskings.
With approximately 1,800 federal agents and mission support personnel, 240 aircraft and 300 marine vessels operating throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, AMO serves as the nation’s experts in airborne and maritime law enforcement.
