The Association of Old Crows was among the organizations on hand September 18 as the US Air Force formally retired the EC-130H Compass Call, closing out more than four decades of electromagnetic warfare service.
Read more about the retirement ceremony and the history of the EC-130H Compass Call.
AOC President Anthony “Tony” Lisuzzo, At-Large Director Jeffrey Fischer, and Mountain-Western Region Director Frank Ball represented the association at the ceremony at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The event, hosted by the 55th Electronic Combat Group, marked the sunset of an aircraft that first flew in 1981 and went on to serve as what the Air Force has described as the joint force’s invisible shield, disrupting enemy communications and carrying out offensive counter-information and electronic attack missions in support of US and coalition operations. Attendees toured the aircraft, watched it taxi for the final time, and got a look at the exterior of its successor, the EA-37B.
AOC used the occasion to recognize one of the community’s own. The association presented US Rep. Don Bacon with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, logged 11 years flying the EC-130H and later commanded the 55th Electronic Combat Group – the unit responsible for the Compass Call mission – in 2006 and 2007.
AOC also marked the milestone with a tangible keepsake, gifting members of the community specialty beer steins featuring both the Compass Call and AOC retro logos.
Beyond the ceremony itself, AOC’s presence translated into a direct investment in the field’s future. Fischer, alongside Lt. Col. Thomas Draper, presented a $4,129 donation to the AOC Educational Foundation during the sunset events. The gift supports the foundation’s mission of advancing education and professional development across the electromagnetic warfare community.
The retirement of the EC-130H closes a chapter for an aircraft that became a fixture of American EW capability over 45 years of service. Its replacement, the EA-37B, is expected to carry forward the mission with updated technology as the demands of the electromagnetic spectrum continue to evolve.
For AOC, the ceremony offered an opportunity not only to honor the aircraft and those who flew it, but to reinforce the association’s ongoing role in supporting the professionals who work in electromagnetic warfare and spectrum operations through recognition, community engagement, and investment in the next generation of the field.
“Just like Compass Call, AOC is modernizing and moving into the future,” Fischer said. “The Air Force is moving forward with new aircraft and advanced jammers, and AOC is doing the same on our end. This isn’t your grandfather’s AOC anymore. We’re expanding our digital content, our podcast, Crow PAC, the AOC Foundation, and a lot more – all so we can make a bigger impact for our global community.”
