Warrior Preparation Center wins Air Force Award

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  • By USAFE WPC
EINSIEDLERHOF, Germany --  United States Air Forces Europe's Warrior Preparation Center in Einsiedlerhof, Germany, was recently recognized with the Air Force's Modeling and Simulation Award for 2007. 

Brig. Gen. David Fadok, Air Force Warfighter Systems Integration and Deployment, presented the Air Force-level award to WPC Commander, Col. James "Spanky" Dennis, during a ceremony in Orlando, Fla., sponsored by the DoD's annual Defense Modeling Simulation Conference. 

The WPC was recognized for supporting the training of 10,000 senior leaders and battle staffs of United Stated European Command (USEUCOM), United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), United States Army Europe (USAREUR), North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO), USAFE, Partnership for Peace Program (PfP), Tactical Support Center (TSC) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) through mission rehearsals exercises, "red teaming" and lessons learned analysis. 

Faced with the challenge of losing the U.S. Army's partnering activities at the Einsiedlerhof facility, the 80-plus active duty, NSPS and contractor personnel worked with leaders from more than 20 separate nations' military headquarters' personnel to provide consequence management and perform counterterrorism operations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 

The WPC was recognized as the "birthplace" of the concept to provide Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER) training at home to prep International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Forward Air Controllers (FACs) and US Joint Tactical Air Controller (JTACs) for war. By providing the simulated Predator video depicting friendly/enemy force location and movements, ground targets and ground-to-air threats to ROVER; the WPC enabled realistic, usable data for FAC/JTAC training on the use of actual ROVERs. 

During 2007, the WPC hosted the first ever NATO SOF Training and Education Program (NSTEP) for training prior to ISAF deployments; a key NATO transformation initiative where 36 SOF students were trained. The WPC also maintained robust Joint Live, Virtual, Constructive (JLVC) support to the 3AF and 603d AOC at very little cost to USAFE/USAF.

Last year, the WPC also hosted more than 60 events in support of exercises, conferences and USAFE's staff training requirements. The WPC was credited for the USAFE Joint Training Program being was accredited and certified by JFCOM citing its JLVC training tools support four operational level tasks; Gain and Maintain Air Superiority in the Joint Operations Area; Publish ATOs; Provide Operational Logistics and Personnel Support; Provide Operational C2; tasks accredited and certified. This accreditation enabled the WPC to secure JNTC funding in support of T2 goals aimed at improving the JLVC training environments.