AMOC Newsletter tiger tribune May 2017

TIGER TRIBUNE

The AMOC NEWSLETTER

June 2017

June 2017

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 1 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S CORNER

Executive Director’s 2 AMOC/CAMOC/CRU EAT RIGHT
Corner 2 WORK HARD
Deputy Director’s Cor- 3 Tiger Team, EARN YOUR STRIPES
Featured Section 3
New Building News Integrity and Service—two of lenge you to find your defini- To quote Mahatma Gandhi,
Employee Appreciation 4 the integral AMO and CBP
BBQ Core Values. But how do tion of what makes you “The best way to find yourself
4 they apply to our daily AMOC
Diversity and Inclusion 5 “whole” and seek to ensure is to lose yourself in the ser-
Program—June 6 activities? you integrate actions towards vice of others”.
Security Updates 7-9 that goal into your daily life.
Law Enforcement Updates 10 Integrity, when taken for The AMOC Team has demon-
Systems Division Updates face value, seems easi-
ly understood and ap- Service is closely related to strated extensive support for
AMOC Happenings plied. In order to possess both definitions of Integrity, programs such as the Red
Featured Employee and maintain the clearanc- as a person cannot truly be of Cross, the Michael V. Gal-
es we need to work at the service to an agency if they lagher Project, Toys-for-Tots
AMOC, we have to strictly don’t have moral/ethical in- and food bank drives for un-
Contributors/Editorial Staff abide by the main ideas tegrity or if they aren’t sure of derprivileged families, so ex-
behind the word’s primary panding this generosity out-
Exec Director: Tony Crowder definition: the adherence to themselves as a whole.
Deputy Director: Kim Garcia moral and ethical principles; side of the facility should be a
Heather Sullivan soundness of moral charac- We all know that CBP’s ser- natural progression for us all.
Al Freeman ter; honesty. All concepts vice to country core value
Lasherry Granger we are very familiar with means maximizing our work- Thank you for your service
Darron Thompson and accustomed to assimi- ing hours for the benefit of Grrr….
Joe Smith
Gary Sumpter lating into our lives. our customer, the taxpayers, Tony the Tiger
Steve Rouille
Joe Zajac But there is another defini- our nation and our organiza-
Mike Dodge tion that also applies in both
our professional and private tion. It benefits us all to en-
lives and is equally im-
portant: the state of being sure top-notch customer ser-
whole, entire, or undimin-
ished. So what does this vice to our law enforcement
mean? Do you consider
yourself “whole”? For some, partners, our Headquarters
being whole means a
healthy balance between and all other entities with
your work and family life—
ensuring you spend vital whom we work on a daily ba-
time with those you love so
that you can return to work sis. The AMOC Team overall
with a better state of mind.
For others it means taking is highly experienced with this
on extra responsibilities at
work or at home in order to concept. But do you apply
reach our full potential or a
personally set goal. I chal- that same customer service

attitude and willingness to Have a great idea for the
help others in your personal newsletter? Send it to the
life? To tie in the integrity AMOC PIO, Tina Parker or
part, do you make yourself Heather Sullivan via Outlook.

“whole” by helping others?

Page 1

June 2017

DEPUTY DIRECTOR’S CORNER

FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

First Impressions are……… lasting impressions! As America’s front-line in air security, AMOC personnel's’ first
contact with other law enforcement, interagency and public partners is critical to establishing a positive,
professional and productive relationship. In our current world of 140 character #Tweets and abbreviated
vocabulary in txts :}, plus the professional Air Traffic Control jargon of “brevity”, Intel speak or “10” codes, it’s not
always at the forefront of our minds that many of our potential and ongoing partners don’t speak “air and
marine.” Beyond our technical expertise, we are responsible for good customer service from the greeting when we
answer the phone to explaining the services we can provide to our partners. As an example, new LE partners
have been referred by others and they have a CI that says a plane is smuggling from point A to point B. We need
to exercise all of our vast knowledge to extract as much data as we can to assist them and then educate them on
how we can help, in essence, it is a bit of a sales call. Attitude and positive energy can make all the difference in
securing and improving partnerships. We are very good at our mission and we continue to have many successes. I
encourage you to reflect on my comments and ask yourself “did I leave a good first impression?”

HF E A T U R E D S E C T I O N : A M O C I N T E L L I G E N C E
ow can we expect to be a team if we don’t know much about our teammates or
the sections in which they work? In the spirit of the AMOC community mindset
and with the new faces coming onboard, we will be featuring a different AMOC
section in each newsletter. Our featured section for this edition is the AMOC Intelligence
section, which works closely with AMOC Operations to provide pertinent and timely in-
formation on tactical or strategic incidents and for ongoing operations, along with many
other functions. How well do you know your Intelligence section?

The Intelligence section is available 7 days a week from 0700-1800 Monday through
Friday and 0800-1600 Saturday and Sunday, with pending plans to extend those hours.
There are currently 12 Intelligence Research Specialists, led by the Intelligence Director,
Dan Brick, the Deputy Director, Clay Muehls and the Supervisory Intelligence Research
Specialist, Kristen Martins. Analysts in this sections bring extensive research experience to the job from various military
branches and CBP components. So, while an employee may seem “new” to you, they actually possess many years of
intelligence and/or operational experience in order to qualify for the position.

“So what exactly do those guys do in that back office”, you ask? While most people see the work the analysts do daily in the
front Intelligence Watch to assist the Operations Floor, they may not be aware that their responsibilities encompass much
more than that. Analysts not only assist the Operations Floor with potential targets, they also conduct research supporting
AMOC LE or field case agents, long-term research on Transnational Criminal Organizations, ongoing or planned AMO
Maritime or Air Operations, radar deployments, HQ or Intelligence Community data requests and the identification of
potential targets for Operations, along with many other daily efforts. The section additionally provides classified intelligence
research and targeting for internal AMO and external LE and DoD partners. The work of the Intelligence Section has
played a major role in the identification and dismantling of several key criminal enterprise groups.

When asked, “What is something you want AMOC-ers to know about your Section”, Ms. Martins relayed that, “The Intel
Team thrives on the curiosity of the other Sections/Directorates and their willingness to engage us. Bring us your diverse
perspectives, ideas and questions. The more talking and collaborating we do, the more synergistic the AMOC Community
will become.”

AMOC COFFEE FUND

Needing a daily caffeine fix? The AMOC Coffee Fund is available to check off that box! DEO Brian
Schnabel runs the “coffee kitty” and has done a stellar job ensuring the building has an ample supply of
coffee, plain and flavored creamers, different sweeteners and most importantly COFFEE! Coffee is for
members only though, so if you would like to join, please see DEO Schnabel or you can pay daily or per
cup by following the rules on the money box in the kitchen. This applies to visitors, so if you have
visitors wanting coffee, please follow “coffee kitty” rules for payment.

Page 2

June 2017

N E W B U I L D I N G ( 6 0 5 C ) N E W Sontractors are making progress on the new AMOC building, 605C, and it has been interesting to observe! With the

infamous “Lake Crowder” now filled in with concrete, contractors are currently backfilling and leveling the site.

CBeginning the week of 22 May, you will see under slab plumbing work and curbing for the parking lot begin.

Additionally, the long-standing flag poles in front of our main building have been removed, with new flag poles slated to be
installed in front of the new 605C entry. With delays due to weather and several contracting issues, our new 22,000 sq ft
facility is now scheduled to be completed in early February 2018, though discussion may move it to an earlier completion
date. If you have a few minutes in your day, take some time to observe the progress and watch our new building come to
fruition.

AMOC EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION BBQ

On April 13, the AMOC Directorate hosted an Employee Appreciation Burger Burn to thank all AMOC employees for a
job well done! With the AMOC Morale Fund providing the burgers, hot dogs and chips, the AMOC Directorate provided
side dishes and homemade ice cream sandwiches for dessert! All attendees were treated to food grilled by Mr. Crowder,
Ms. Garcia and Mr. Jones, as well as Darron Thompson and a few building volunteers.
The gathering was also the perfect opportunity for Mr. Crowder to present long-term government service awards to Curtis
Brown, Michael Dodge and Sherry Ziegler. Congratulations and we appreciate your service to country!

Page 3

June 2017

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAM

JUNE IS LGBT PRIDE MONTH

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) joins the Nation in
celebrating June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT)
Pride Month. On June 11, 1999 President Clinton issued a proclamation
7316, designating June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. The significance
of June was the Stonewall Inn Rebellion, a three-day protest of June 1969
in New York City’s Greenwich Village where patrons protested
discrimination and harassment. This event also marked the first time
when the LGBT community joined the national call for equality and civil
rights.

The designation of June as LGBT Month is a thread in our American
tapestry that values equality and freedom. This month is dedicated to appreciating the many and varied contributions of the
LGBT community to our Nation and all aspects of our national life. At CBP, our diversity is our strength! We recognize our
LGBT employees for their dedicated service to our country and contributions in safeguarding America’s borders.

JUNE IS ALSO CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

CBP is proud to celebrate National Caribbean American Heritage Month. In 1999, the
Institute for Caribbean Studies (ICS) petitioned President Bill Clinton to establish a
commemorative month to recognize Caribbean American Heritage. In June 2005, the House
of Representatives unanimously adopted H. Con. Res. 71, sponsored by Congresswoman
Barbara Lee, recognizing the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the
history and culture of the United States. On June 6, 2006, President George Bush signed a
proclamation that officially established National Caribbean American Heritage Month.

Caribbean immigrants have been instrumental in defining American society since the early
days of our Nation. Alexander Hamilton, a Caribbean American served as the first Secretary
of the Treasury. Caribbean Americans have continued to contribute to the American
economy through education, politics, military, arts, sciences, athletics, and entertainment.

CBP maintains close relations with the Caribbean to safeguard America’s borders while
enhancing our Nation’s economic competitiveness. CBP’s Caribbean Air and Marine Branch
is the only federal law enforcement organization in the Caribbean Basin with integrated air
and marine interdiction capabilities. At CBP, our diversity is our strength. Please join CBP in recognizing the Caribbean
Americans across our nation and our coworkers who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving this country.

n

AMOC SECURITY DIVISION CHANGES c
he AMOC Security Division has worked diligently to maintain security standards ensuring the safety and security of a
all AMOC employees and simplifying visitor coordination. Some of the improvements and changes include an s
e
TAMOC Security camera tech refresh with plans to remove and replace existing analog (still and Pan Tilt Zoom) with
Internet Protocol (IP) cameras with all fiber optic cablings. Also the AMOC Visitor Coordination Sheet version 3 is coming y
o
soon. The visit POC will be responsible for completion of the Visitor Coordination Sheet and ensuring clearances are
passed to the AMOC SSO (if applicable). If additional support is required (briefers, coffee/water, etc.), the visit POC will u

also submit a separate request for those items. Finally, Building 605C (new construction) will be outfitted with a walk h
through metal detector and x-ray machine for enhanced “mandatory” visitor screening. While this equipment will be used a
primarily for visitors, random security checks will be performed on AMOC personnel. So please be patient as we all adjust v
to the new Security changes as we adjust to our facility expansion. Please see either Mike Dodge or Joe Smith with any e

security related questions or concerns. n

Page 4

June 2017

AMOC LAW ENFORCEMENT UPDATES

AMOC EXPANDS CAPABILITIES TO FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS

On Feb 27, 2017, while conducting SKYPRO, AMOC DEO
Greg Teewen detected an aircraft on a suspect flight profile
from Chico, CA to Brooksville-Tampa, FL. AMOC
coordinated with NASOC-Jacksonville Aviation Enforcement Agents to
respond and investigate. The event resulted in the seizure of a
Beechcraft Baron 58P aircraft, an F-150 truck and 197.2 lbs of
marijuana.
HSI declined to have the electronics exploited as it did not meet their
threshold. So the AMOC Law Enforcement (LE) section coordinated
with the newly formed Air and Marine Cyber Investigations Team
(AMCIT) to have the electronics exploited. The exploitation revealed
new information that indicated a connection to Northern California. AMO and HSI Agents from Florida reached out to
Northern California HSI and coordinated the execution of several search warrants in the Northern California area. Investiga-
tors with the Butte County, CA Sheriff’s Office (SO) assisted and seized an intact and functional hash oil lab valued at over
$110,000. This is the first intact hash oil lab that Butte County SO has ever seized and the seizure would have never material-
ized without the new capabilities of the AMCIT program.
In April, representatives of the AMOC LE Division met with District Attorney Investigator Doug Patterson of the Butte
County SO--Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) and personally thanked him for all the excellent coordination that was done on
this case. Special Agent Perry Woo, MIA Ricky Hampton and SMIA Joe Zajac had the opportunity to observe the hash oil
lab and foster a fantastic new relationship with the Butte County SO. Investigator Patterson was presented with a letter of
appreciation from AMOC Deputy Director Garcia along with a CBP holographic badge. This case successfully highlights not
only the fantastic detection and enforcement operations of the AMOC, but also the utilization of AMO’s ever growing
investigative capabilities. Great job, AMOC Team!

AMOC TEAMWORK LEADS TO LARGE NARCOTICS CASE

On 29 March 2017, AMOC detected and notified the AMOC Case Agent of a Level-1 suspect
aircraft movement resulting in a seizure of contraband and one arrest. AMOC detected and tracked
a Level-1 PA-31 aircraft on a flight from Freeport, Bahamas enroute to Windsor, Ontario, Canada
when it diverted to Ohio University, Athens, OH. AMOC coordinated with Athens County SO to
detain the aircraft until Federal Agents arrived on-scene. A Great Lakes Air and Marine Branch air
asset responded and a K-9 alert resulted in the seizure of a Piper PA-31 aircraft, 132 kgs of cocaine
and two arrests, including the pilot. HSI responded and is continuing the investigation.

Once again, AMOC LE reached out to the AMCIT Duty Agent and requested electronic evidence support of this seizure.
The AMCIT team was able to extract valuable avionics data that will help AMOC with suspect flight routing in future
targeting. AMOC SIRS J.J. Milner and AMOC LE AEA Robert Zavala were able to participate in the proffer of one of the
suspects in the case. During this proffer, AMOC staff were able to gain a better understanding of suspect movements
from the Caribbean to the northern border, including several new smuggling trends.

Since the seizure, six other suspects have been arrested in Canada and the investigation is expanding to new locations and
new DTO networks. This is an AMO organic target from AMOC Intel tipping, AMOC LE investigations, AMO Great
Lakes, AMCIT and the diligent work of AMOC Operations DEO Matt Summers. Overall, a fantastic effort that resulted in
an ever growing investigation spanning multiple countries and criminal networks.

RANDOM FACTS
OF THE DAY

Page 5

June 2017

AAMOC SYSTEMS DIVISION CHANGESMOC Systems Division is powering through an ever changing Domain by championing a consolidation effort of
AMO, OI and AMOC systems. This re-alignment is expected to pay dividends by reducing support costs associated
with hardware and software procurement as well as improve maintenance support responsiveness as separate
activities will now be unified. Under the old construct technical support activities for PED Operations were completely
separate from technical support of AMOSS Operations. The consolidation effort takes a holistic view of the AMOC C4I
and user communication requirements to support DHS and National objectives. This is a recognition that AMOC is now
more than “just AMOSS”.

Systems Division delivers AMOC Continuity of Operation (COOP) capability at the Joint Intelligence Operations Center
(JIOC) in Tucson AZ. The Systems team is industriously building a fully independent AMOSS with tracking and database
capabilities at the JIOC. While the COOP capabilities are not programmed to be as robust as the AMOC, the system is
ready to receive a COOP team to re-establish mission critical Operations. In the next month the COOP site servers will be
configured to run AMOSS workstations at the AMOC in the event AMOC servers cease to function. At maturity the COOP
site will have 12 AMOSS positions with COMMS and radio capability on the JIOC Operations floor.

Growing Maritime Domain Awareness is a major focus for the Systems Division. Earlier this month
Minotaur tracks from a CBP Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft (MEA) were ingested and displayed
into the test AMOSS system and the PED ISR systems. In the last couple of months AMOC systems
technicians successfully worked with DHS Science and Technology to display space-based tracking of
maritime vessels via the Coalition Tactical Awareness Radar (CTAR) project. In July Minotaur tracks
from a Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) platform will be integrated into AMOSS. As the layers of sensors and
data are integrated into AMOSS the system is quickly moving toward earning the capital “M”in the name. For questions or
comments, please see Steve Rouille or Sherry Ziegler.

FEDERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD GRADUATES

Congratulations to SDEO Terry Kelly and IRS Laura Andersen for successfully completing the requirements for the Greater
Los Angeles Federal Executive Board! This developmental opportunity is designed to build a cadre of professionals with
broad skills for the future. Andersen and Kelly continued in their current positions while participating in the program for 11
months. Approximately 10 percent of their time was devoted to the program. Program components and estimated time re-
quirements were as follows:
• Complete an Individual Development Plan (2 hours)
• Select a mentor & meet them throughout the program (10 hours)
• Complete a minimum of two Executive Interviews (4 hours)
• Complete a minimum of a one-week shadowing experience (40 hours)
• Complete three FEB tasks or one project during the program (24 hours)
• Participate in a variety of FEB Leadership programs and meetings (12
hours)
• Complete a detail assignment – optional at Agency discretion
• Attend 70% of the following courses: (curriculum may adjusted each year): Orientation Session (½ day), How to Select a Mentor
(½ day) , Overview of the Federal Government in the Greater L.A. Area (1 day), The Power of Your Networks (½ day) , Situa-
tional/Transformational Leadership Course & Leadership Practices Inventory (2 days) , Understanding Personal Strengths in
Relating to Others (1 day) , Effective Writing Skills, Stress Management, Time Management, Presentation Skills or Interview
Skills (1 or 2 days), 6 Additional ½ day training sessions on leadership topics (24 hours)

We look forward to seeing what these two and future graduates can bring to our facility and mission set with their new skill-
set! Again, congratulations on your achievement from the entire AMOC Team!

Page 6

June 2017

AMOC HAPPENINGS—”HEY, WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?”

The AMOC is a relatively small work community that focuses on a feeling of family and camaraderie. So we want to take
the opportunity give a warm welcome to our new employees that arrived at the AMOC and congratulate those that were
promoted! The following is a list of both groups. If anyone was inadvertently left off this list, we greatly apologize, so
please send any missed promotions/new employees to the AMOC PIO, Tina Parker, or to Heather Sullivan for inclusion in
the next newsletter! We also want to hear about any “happenings” that may have been left out, so please send those
too!

NEW HIRES:

Detection Enforcement Officers: Jacques Castro, Kevin Graff, Daniel Harper, Jason
Jastillana, Brent Loghry, Daniel Monahan, Christian Ortiz, Frank Villanueva; Marine Interdic-
tion Agent: Ricky Hampton; Intelligence Research Specialist: Amy Oxford. PED Cell In-
telligence Research Specialist: Brian Meemken, Daniel Barron, Shane Fox, James Wilber,
Alexander Davis, Rochelle Galloway, Kris Ericson and Robert Goering. Maintenance: Ernie
Wayne King, Electrician (FMS alternate). Border Patrol Liaisons: David Phillips and
Nicholas Watson.; Security: Marco Martinez.

CPROMOTIONS:
ongratulations to the following AMOC team members who were promoted: Michael Dodge, Supervisory Program
Manager; Terry Kelly, Supervisory Detection Enforcement Officer; Adam Ratajczak, Supervisory Detection
Enforcement Officer; John Damschen, Acting Senior Detection Enforcement Officer; Kurt Reichardt, Acting
Senior Detection Enforcement Officer.

CERTIFICATIONS:

Congratulations to the following AMOC Operations Floor personnel
who acquired full certification since our last newsletter: DeWayne
Gwinn, Carl Buchanan, Zelda Montoya, Daynesha Bumanglag, Patrick
Flavin, Dennis Griggs, Jacob Scully, Brent Loghry, Aaron Snitzer and
Elena Manos.

A big congratulations also goes out to the AMOC’s OI PED Cell Branch Chief, Mrs. Kimberly Ramsey, who completed a
Master of Arts Degree in Security Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School Center for
Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) on March 31, 2017. During the 18-month online
and in-residence program, Kim collaborated with DHS employees from across the nation
on current policy, strategy and organizational design challenges. Twenty-eight CHDS stu-
dents participated in the ceremony. The 28 graduates represent a snapshot of the home-
land security profession, including professionals from the fields of homeland security,
emergency management law enforcement, fire service, public health education and city/
county government and Kim was one four CBP graduates in the current CHDS program!
Pictured is Mrs. Ramsey with AMOC Director Tony Crowder and the OI Chief of Staff Ty
Eanes. We are proud of your accomplishment, Kim!

RETIREMENTS:

Since the last newsletter, some of our AMOC family retired to enjoy time well-earned with family and friends. Their
extensive experience and knowledge will be thoroughly missed. We only hope we can honor their long-time government
service with our continued vigilance and commitment to excellent
customer service:

 Michael Ringgold, Aug 2016
 James “Jim” Ryan, Dec 2016
 Kenneth Trailer, Feb 2017
 Jim Durrett, Apr 2017

Page 7

June 2017

AMOC HAPPENINGS (CONTINUED)

USCG LCDR JON BARTEL DEPARTS FOR ALASKA

On 26 May, AMOC’s USCG Liaison Officer, LCDR Jon Bartel, departed AMOC for
a third tour in the “last frontier”, Alaska. He will be flying MH-60T helicopters for
the USCG at Air Station Kodiak (CGAS Kodiak). The station's primary mission is
aerial search and rescue and village medevac in a 4,000,000 square mile area of
responsibility covering the Gulf of Alaska, Bristol Bay, the Bering Sea and Alaska's
Pacific coast.

CGAS Kodiak is the base location for the television shows Deadliest Catch and Coast
Guard Alaska. Kodiak is also home to the Navy Seal Cold Weather Training facility
due to its austere environment. Flying in Kodiak is widely known as the most
challenging aviation job in the Coast Guard and LCDR Bartel is excited to be return-
ing to a pilot position! Good luck LCDR Bartel. We wish you fair winds and
following seas ahead!

NOTEWORTHY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

AMOC would like to congratulate the following employees for a job well-done!

 DEO Scott Campbell diligently completed all requirements for a DHS and Federal Acquisition Institute Intermediate
Level Program and Project Managers Certification while temporarily assigned to Air and Marine Operations HQ for
twelve weeks. DEO Campbell participated in a pilot AMO HQ Developmental Assignment project designed to mitigate
a professional developmental gap between AMO Tactical (AMOC) and AMO Strategic (HQ) levels; strategic writing,
acquisition, and requirements activities. This AMO HQ Developmental Assignment is the embodiment of the EAC’s
vision to facilitate action of investing in AMOC personnel towards our future.

 DEO’s Carl Cadavona and Ryan Fiedler graciously accepted a short notice recruiting initiative tasking intended to
produce at least 19 viable candidates to fill unoccupied DEO positions. Their arduous and dedicated work produced 51
leads during the first three weeks, resulting in 24 candidates selected for the interview process. Outstanding work by
both!

 SDEO Sean Marchal effectively conducted approximately 25 DEO candidate interviews over the past nine months and
145 to date—a monumental effort!

NEW AMOC FAMILY ADDITIONS:

AMOC celebrates our family ties and, in this tradition, we would like to congratulate
the following AMOC team members with new additions since our last newsletter.
If we missed including your newest family member and you would like us to
share it in the next newsletter, please send an email to the AMOC PIC, Tina
Parker, or Heather Sullivan.

Ryan Fiedler, son, Oliver Scott Fiedler, Sep 2016; Brent Loghry, daughter, Ade-
line Grace Loghry, Dec 2016; Patrick Flavin, son, Liam Flavin, Jan 2017; Aaron
Snitzer, son, Ari Snitzer, Nov 2016; Noel Trujillo, grandson, Thomas Trujillo, Jan
2017; Mike Noack, grandson, Maverick Noack, Apr 2017.

SJERSEY DAY UPDATE
ince the last newsletter, AMOC has had two Jersey Days, which successfully raised funds for our Morale Fund. The
event was well received throughout the building and allowed AMOC employees the chance to celebrate their
favorite teams while still completing the mission. While the AMOC Directorate approved a Jersey Day each
quarter, if requested, multiple personnel mentioned morphing it into a different themed day, such as Hawaiian Shirt Day, to
keep it fun and continue support of our Morale Fund. If you would like to suggest a change to our Jersey Day, please
submit your input to either your Morale Representative, Darron Thompson. Let’s continue to celebrate the spirit of the
AMOC family and do so while keeping our borders secure.

Page 8

June 2017

AMOC HAPPENINGS (CONTINUED)

AMOC TIGER AWARD SUBMISSIONS

In August, 2016 Mr. Crowder initiated a new recognition program called the Tiger Award, where AM-
OC employees, liaisons and contractor staff are lauded for their significant contributions towards
the AMOC mission. Since that time, the AMOC Directorate has awarded 13 Tiger Awards! This is an
ongoing award program and anyone can recommend a person for consideration by simply sending a
quick write-up via email to the AMOC PIO, Tina Parker, or to the Acting PIO, Heather Sullivan. All
recommendations will be vetted through the AMOC Directorate to determine eligibility. So, take a
few minutes to say, “job well done”, to a fellow employee by sending their name forward for consid-
eration. In the words of Michael Jordan, “If you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed
upon you..” So, who will be next?

OAMOC BATTLE OF THE BADGES BLOOD DRIVE
n 9 Feb, AMOC and the American Red Cross collaborated to conduct the Battle of the Badges Blood Drive. Last
year we were a little short of our projected goal, but for this drive, AMOC collected 1 pint over our goal, totaling 28
pints of blood! Everyone came with great attitudes and a willingness to help others and their contributions saved
lives with their donations. Brooke Ratajczak once again led the charge for the blood drive and did an outstanding job making
arrangements with Red Cross personnel, recruiting donors and even creating amazing gift baskets from donated items to en-
courage employee participation. She definitely went above and beyond on this entire event and she was assisted in her en-
deavors by Barbara Hoogeveen, Dyanesha Bumanglag, Adam Ratajczak, Greg Teeuwen, Drew Hobson and Heather Sullivan.
As usual, great job, Brooke! Thank you for leading the AMOC initiative to make an impact on people’s lives!

AMOC/OI SSR COACHES CHAMPIONSHIP TRACK TEAM

While our jobs at AMOC are of utmost importance to the security of our country, we all have
lives outside these walls that are also important and meaningful on a different level. Like Win-
ston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”.
Numerous AMOC employees are involved in community service and we like to celebrate their
successes in doing so.

One such example is the AMOC/OI SSR, Gary Sumpter, who has been involved in his com-
munity by mentoring and coaching young track athletes and leading them to success at both
the high-school and world competition levels since 1997. Coach G, as he is known in the
Track and Field community, has produced some of the State’s finest track athletes, including
athletes with the fastest times ever run by Riverside County High School athletes in these
events: 4x100 Relay (40.29), 100m (10.32), 200m (20.84), 4x400 relay (2:12.69) and Long Jump
(24’3”). As shown here, the accomplishment of the 2017 CIF Southern Section Division 1
Championship is some of his recent work.

Please wish him and his team at Rancho Verde High School the best of luck at the 2017 State
Track and Field Championships 2-3 June. Word has it that they are positioned to win it all!

Page 9

June 2017

FEATURED EMPLOYEE: JOE THOMPSON

It is always good to get to know our AMOC team members bet-
ter! So in each Tiger Tribune issue, we will be interviewing a
different AMOC employee so we can all learn what makes them
unique. Our featured employee for this edition is the Systems Divi-
sion’s very own Joe Thompson.
Joe has been employed at the AMOC as a Senior Engineer and
Quality Technician for 19 years and spent 11 years prior to that with
the Navy as an Electronics Technician. Joe first learned about the
AMOC during his contractor stint with Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH)
when he taught the Anti-Drug Network (ADNET) system to
AMOC employees. He was eventually brought onboard to the
original AMOC Engineering and Integration section where he has
spent the last 19 years working with AMOSS systems developers to
modernize the AMOSS to fit the changing mission set. He also
helped set up the first off-site AMOSS installation at the NCRCC
located in a meeting room in Herndon, VA—my how far we have
come!
In 2016, Joe began having difficulty breathing while at work and was taken to the hospital where they discovered he had
advanced congestive heart failure thought to be caused by a viral infection. He was placed on the heart transplant list where
he waited until November to receive his transplant from an unknown 30 year old woman, who kindly saved three lives that
day with the donation of her heart, liver and kidneys. The transplant was so successful that Joe has now reduced his
medication and is walking 25 miles a week! As per Joe, his only regret is that the doctors didn’t take pictures of his old heart
so he could see what was causing him so much trouble.
When I asked Joe to tell me something people may not know about him, he told me about his hobby and travel interests. In
his free time, he is a paranormal investigator and researcher. He has spent 30 years in the field, has done several radio and
internet interviews and is the author of two books on the subject, with a third expected to be released in November or
December. He has done investigations and traveled in Europe and loves Scotland so much that he would ideally like to live
in a small cottage on the eastern coast overlooking the sea and located near a pub.
Thank you, Joe, for your many years of dedicated AMOC service. May you find that cottage you are seeking!

If you have a community involvement story or event
you would like included in the AMOC Newsletter,

please email details and photo graphs to the AMOC
PIO, Tina Parker, or to Heather Sullivan.

Page 10