William L . Kirk William L . Kirk ( born July 11 , 1932 ) 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 ( CINCUSAFE / COMAAFCE ) 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 Base s , 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 Base s 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 . In June 1966 he completed the F - 4 fighter weapons instructor course at Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada , and was assigned to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing Wolf Pack at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand , in March 1967 . He destroyed two North Vietnamese MiGs during his 130 F - 4 Phantom II missions with the Wolf Pack . Upon his return to the United States in January 1968 , he was assigned as a squadron operations officer at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida . He assumed command of the 4538th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base in January 1969 . After completing the Air War College in June 1971 , General Kirk was assigned as chief of the Tactics Branch and , later , as deputy chief of the Tactical Division , Directorate of Operations , Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff , Plans and Operations , Headquarters U . S . Air Force , Washington , D . C . Although assigned at the Pentagon , he spent much of this tour of duty in Thailand . In July 1973 he became deputy commander for operations , 4th Tactical Fighter Wing , Seymour Johnson Air Force Base , North Carolina . From January 1974 to January 1976 Kirk was assigned to Holloman Air Force Base , New Mexico , first as vice commander , and later as commander , of the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing . He then served as deputy chief of staff for operations , Headquarters 9th Air Force , at Shaw Air Force Base . From November 1977 to June 1979 he was assigned as assistant deputy chief of staff , operations and readiness , Headquarters Pacific Air Forces , Hickam Air Force Base , Hawaii . He then became the command ' s inspector general . In July 1980 Kirk returned to Air Force headquarters as director of electronic combat , Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff , Plans and Operations . He was assigned as deputy chief of staff for operations at Headquarters U . S . Air Forces in Europe , Ramstein Air Base , in July 1982 . He became commander of 9th Air Force in July 1985 . He assumed his final position as CINCUSAFE / COMAAFCE in April 1987 . He retired from the Air Force on May 1 , 1989 .