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Amygdala neurons play critical roles in fear learning and memory recall. In this issue of Learning & Memory, Hammack et al. (LearnMem 250–259) used TRAP2;Ai14 transgenic mice to determine that capsular central amygdala (CeA) neurons, which lie downstream from basolateral amygdala fear ensembles, are strongly recruited during fear learning. Integrative and output neurons in the mediolateral CeA were also activated during fear learning. Notably, CeA activation was largely absent during remote fear memory recall, and hence dual-activated fear memory engram neurons were sparsely localized to CeA. In sum, despite intimate connectivity with upstream fear memory circuitry and robust activation by fear memory-inducing stimuli, CeA neurons participate little in remote memory recall. Instead, they appear to couple aversive stimuli to acute behavioral and autonomic responses.