William L. Kirk

Who is William L. Kirk?

William L. Kirk is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe/Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe from 1987 to 1989.

Kirk was born in 1932, in Rayville, Louisiana. He graduated from Rayville High School in 1950 and attended Northeast Louisiana State College. He completed Squadron Officer School in 1962 and the Air War College in 1971.

He enlisted in the Air Force in 1951 and became an aviation cadet in February 1953. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and awarded his pilot's wings in April 1954.

After completing pilot training at Kinston Air Base, North Carolina, as well as Bryan and Perrin Air Force Bases, Texas, Kirk attended tactical reconnaissance phase training at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. In October 1954 he was assigned as a pilot with the 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Shaw. From March 1955 to June 1957 he served as a pilot with the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Komaki and Yokota Air Bases in Japan. He became a flight commander with the 6021st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Johnson Air Base, Japan, in June 1957.

Kirk returned to the United States in November 1957 and again was assigned to the 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. From September 1960 to June 1964 he served, first, as pilot, then as assistant flight commander, and finally as flight commander with the 92nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Station Bentwaters, England. He then transferred to the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, where he served successively as air operations officer, command post controller, instructor pilot, and chief of standardization and evaluation for Tactical Air Command's first F-4 replacement training unit.