AMFF - A Reflection On Our First Month  

​On September 1, 2024, a month ago, we officially launched our website. This first month at the Air and Marine Family Foundation continued our two-year contemplation and learning process. If you read through our various website pages, you will learn that current Air and Marine Operations (AMO) personnel envisioned the AMFF. Their vision of an organization focused on supporting AMO employees and their families was formed partially by; the November 17, 2022 shooting incident off the coast of Puerto Rico and the fact that existing Customs and Border Protection component offices’ support organizations did not include AMO. These AMO employees’ passion for taking care of their peers, combined with the absence of an organization to care for the AMO family, drove their vision. Approximately two and a half months after the Puerto Rico incident, a call went out to spark the interest of others to join this tangible peer support vision. Indeed, a spark ignited a flame that led to a nearly two-year process that resulted in the AMFF website launch.  The website was not the objective, it is a tool to coalesce and organize support for the AMO family in their darkest days. 

 

The inspiring AMO personnel’s internal passion for supporting their peers has been impressive.  This exciting AMFF support has been matched by the AMO retirement community and their families. This first month is encouraging, however, the funding base to provide support on an enduring and robust level is not in place yet. We have a long road ahead and we truly need the continuous help of the AMO Family to spread the word and ensure all members of the AMO Family - Employees, Contractors and Retirees - are aware that we are here to support and assist to the best of our ability given the resources we have been able to raise.  In short, we need active AMFF Ambassadors to spread the vision and passion we have uncovered to anyone that appreciates the sacrifices made by the AMO family in service to our nation.  The AMFF is deeply grateful to those that have joined us in this important mission.