AMOC building and expanding

  • Published
  • By Capt. Perry Covington
  • 452 AMW/PA

The excitement was palpable as the crowd gathered at the Air and Marine Operations Center (AMOC) at March Air Reserve Base, California to cut the ribbon to their newly constructed addition. The AMOC is the nation's only federal law enforcement center which coordinates interdiction operations for the entirety of the Western Hemisphere. Established in 1988 as a state-of-the-art law enforcement Domain Awareness center to counter the airborne drug smuggling threat, the new addition is a welcomed change in the facilities for an ever expanding work force. 

"This was a long time coming," said Tony Crowder, Executive Director of Operations. "It is an important milestone for the people who work silently in the background to keeping our nation safe."

The area of responsibility the AMOC covers is staggering.

“I have always been impressed with the mission and scope of our AMOC brethren. 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, Vice Commander, 4th Air Force.