WPC Theater dedicated to Kirk, founding father

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rachelle Coleman
  • U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa Public Affairs
EINSIEDLERHOF AIR STATION, Germany --  The Warrior Preparation Center theater was dedicated to honor one of its founding members in a ceremony here Nov. 6.

It was named the Kirk Theater, in honor of Gen. William L. Kirk, who served as the U.S. Air Forces director of operations when the WPC was established in the fall of 1982. Kirk asked Col. Richard “Moody” Suter to take a look at how NATO planned to train and fight. He was concerned that NATO had developed a “non-winning” mindset.

“We owe much to Gen. Kirk and his team and it is fitting that this theater be dedicated to him in recognition of his lasting influence,” said Gen. Tod D. Wolters, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa commander.

According to Wolters, Kirk realized the need to instill that same spirit of warfighting and innovation with our NATO allies and that was the genesis of the Warrior Prep Center.

With a small investment from the USAFE flying budget and a “band of pirates” that Moody found, the WPC was established. It truly revolutionized realistic, computer assisted combat training.

“With time, the threats that we face have evolved and expanded, requiring us to evolve with them,” said Wolters, “And the Warrior Prep Center has kept pace, providing training that meets our more modern threats and equipping our warfighters with skills and knowledge that our adversaries simply can’t match.”

Since then, the WPC has made the transformation from a Cold War fixed-based posture to an organization in transition that embodies the DOD’s vision. Armed with multiple training networking environments, the latest Modeling and Simulation tools and ongoing initiatives to enhance the realism of live aircrew training, the center is postured to continue on its path of leadership and training innovation.

“This center takes advantage of technology that wasn’t necessarily available when General Kirk was here, but the approach is a natural outgrowth of his vision and approach to incorporation technology and innovations in warfighting training,” said Wolters.

The bottom line for the WPC is to help prepare the warfighter. As the global security environment continues to transform, Kirk’s WPC will continue to be an innovator, dedicated to excellence in readiness training, and living up to the center’s motto “Prepare to win”.

“The training and leadership of the Warrior Prep Center, though physically residing here on this small Air Station, have exponential impact and reach through training that strengthens our partnerships and joint efforts across Europe,” said Wolters.

Today, the WPC is an Air and Space Joint Live, Virtual and Constructive (JLVC) training facility under the leadership of the Director of Air and Space Operations, USAFE, and is tasked to plan, engineer and execute worldwide distributed JLVC training to provide joint and combined commanders and staffs with a realistic operational and tactical level training environment.

“Thirty-five years after General Kirk asked Colonel Moody Suter to look into NATO command and control and planning for an air war in Europe, the WPC continues Gen. Kirk’s and Moody’s vision along with Moody’s Pirates tradition of innovation here at Einsiedlerhof,” said Col. Michael Rider, WPC commander.

Kirk’s legacy continues through facilities and programs at the Distributed Training Center, Air Ground Operation School and European Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center; in addition to the Polygone Electronic Warfare Range detachment in Bann, Germany, the inter European Air Forces Academy at Kapaun AS, Germany and Tactical Leadership Program detachment in Albacete, Spain.