NSA Museum gets EC-130H for Display

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

September 12, 2018
Ft. George G. Meade, Maryland
Home of the NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY


This Air Force's oldest EC-130H, tail number 65-0989, was recently decommissioned after 53 years of service and flew from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to Tipton Airfield near Ft. Meade, Maryland, on September 12, 2018. The former electronic surveillance aircraft will become a new addition to the National Cryptologic Museum's National Vigilance Park.


EC-130H makes a pass over Tipton Airfield.



EC-130H makes its final landing.
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All engines stopped. (for the very last time)
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EC-130H towed in following her Final Flight.
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EC-130H cockpit.



Here's a wonderful link about the EC-130H - her mission, crew and equipment....

https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104550/ec-130h-compass-call/

And, a WIKI for your enjoyment:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_EC-130H_Compass_Call

Or, the the somewhat more generic EC-130 classification:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_EC-130

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Here are two links about the National Cryptologic School and the adjacent Vigilance Park:

https://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic-heritage/museum/

https://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic-heritage/vigilance-park/

And a link to the Vigilance Park's IMAGE GALLERY:

https://www.nsa.gov/resources/everyone/digital-media-center/image-galleries/places/vigilance-park/

 

[Guyfang]

The story's she could tell.

 

[swbradley1]

Where is the park?

I was just out there and I would have loved to have seen that sitting at the museum.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

The story's she could tell.

Yeah, she - like most everyone or everything who has ever been assigned to NSA - COULD tell many stories.... but then would have to SHOOT YOU!!!

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

The Museum is located just to the north of the main NSA buildings at Ft. Meade.

The Vigilance Park is under construction in this Google Maps image.... just to the "left" of the Visitors Center:

You can see the circular segment of concrete walkway already poured at the construction site. It encircles another C-130 nowadays. I have no intell on where this EC-130H will be placed.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

The Museum is located just to the north of the main NSA buildings at Ft. Meade.

The Vigilance Park is under construction in this Google Maps images.... just to the "left" of the Visitors Center:

View attachment 741759 . . You can see the circular segment of concrete walkway already poured at the construction site. It encircles another C-130 nowadays. I have no intell on where this EC-130H will be placed.

 

[cbear]

"The story's she could tell."

Except they're classified.

 

[Guyfang]

The stories behind the stories, are the best to hear!

 

[Trailboss]

My Mom worked at NSA from 1962 thru 1984. When we were kids, she told us if anyone asked us what she did, to tell them she was just a secretary, but she retired as a high GS-11 analyst (roughly equivalent somewhere between a Captain and almost a Major), which was somewhat unusual for a woman in that period, especially with only a high school degree. She's still a very sharp lady at 89, but is a little rusty on her Mandarin Chinese. Her younger brother also worked at NSA after his Navy tour, and was stationed in Japan during the Vietnam war (even worked with the Navy setting up some observation/data gathering posts where they weren't supposed to be), and later at NSA at Ft Meade, but had to retire early due to medical issues.

My wife often wonders why all that brain power skipped my generation. The closest I came to NSA was working as a plumbers helper refurbishing the barracks behind NSA.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

My Mom worked at NSA from 1962 thru 1984. When we were kids, she told us if anyone asked us what she did, to tell them she was just a secretary, but she retired as a high GS-11 analyst (roughly equivalent somewhere between a Captain and almost a Major), which was somewhat unusual for a woman in that period, especially with only a high school degree. She's still a very sharp lady at 89, but is a little rusty on her Mandarin Chinese. Her younger brother also worked at NSA after his Navy tour, and was stationed in Japan during the Vietnam war (even worked with the Navy setting up some observation/data gathering posts where they weren't supposed to be), and later at NSA at Ft Meade, but had to retire early due to medical issues.

My wife often wonders why all that brain power skipped my generation. The closest I came to NSA was working as a plumbers helper refurbishing the barracks behind NSA.

Thank your mom for her service please.

Although you mentioned she had only a high school degree, rest assured that she was attending classes (and possibly teaching a few too) during her entire tenure there. During my own 4-year enlistment and assignment to NSA, I accumulated so many Credits that I could have applied them to a degree, but almost all of the curriculum remains classified to this day.

Funny you mentioned those barracks (dormitories) "behind" the NSA buildings. Before I married and moved into family housing I lived in the fourth U-shaped dorm east of the "compound". I had the room nearest the dining facility - - - truly a "gift" in that it was a very short walk to FOOD as compared to most other dorm-dwellers.

 

[Trailboss]

The world keeps getting smaller, doesn't it? Best I can recall, I worked on the barracks maybe the summer of 1970 or 1971?

Yes to Mom's classwork, but she will neither confirm nor deny. It was at least 10 or 15 years after she retired before she was allowed to even travel to former Com-Bloc eastern European countries.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

The world keeps getting smaller, doesn't it? Best I can recall, I worked on the barracks maybe the summer of 1970 or 1971?

Yes to Mom's classwork, but she will neither confirm nor deny. It was at least 10 or 15 years after she retired before she was allowed to even travel to former Com-Bloc eastern European countries.

I would certainly like to return to Ft Meade to recon the changes since I left there in 1979. Thanks to internet MAPS I can at least get an "overview" (Pun intended).

My overseas travel was similarly restricted. Although it was my last overseas TDY which found us extricated under live fire (Ho Chi Min City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam - 1977 <--NOT a typo), and THAT dissuaded me from ever wanting to exit the USA again. But God changed my mind a couple of years ago when we were invited to visit Israel. It was such a short notice offer that we simply jumped on it in faith before my historically instinctive "concern for personal safety" kicked in..... And it WAS a most enjoyable, safe, and blessed experience that we're even planning to return to the Holy Land in the near future.

An interesting side note:
When we arrived at the Tel Aviv airport and were clearing Customs, the official spent a little extra time "checking" my credentials. When he returned to the window he told me (without ANY prompting from me) that he too had been to NSA as an Israeli Liaison Officer. He then added that if I needed ANYTHING from any official while in-country, I should feel free to mention that association with their "friends" at NSA. Feel free to read into that what you may. But I have wondered if this is what inspires certain spy novels.