The Air Force World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) recruits elite athletes and affords them the opprotunity to train full-time for three years to make the Olympic team in their respective sport. Whitfield, a Korean War tail gunner, became the first active-duty American serviceman to win Olympic gold in 1952 in Helsinki. Whitfield had previously won two golds and a bronze in track during the 1948 Oly
mpics in London. In announcing the establishment of WCAP, then Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Fogleman wrote, “This new program is not only good for a small number of Airmen-athletes, it’s also good for the Air Force,” citing strong recruiting and retention benefits. Unlike “Marvelous Mal” Whitfield, who trained for the ’52 Games by running on an airfield between bombing missions, today’s WCAP athletes train full time as part of the two-year program and compete in U.S. Armed Forces events, the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (Military World Games), Olympic Games and qualifying events for those games. The inaugural WCAP summer session was for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Eighteen of the 19 athletes in the program qualified for the Olympic Trials with three securing positions on the U.S Olympic Team: Maj. William Roy in shooting, 1st Lt. David DeGraff in team handball and Master Sgt. Richard Estrella in wrestling. A fourth athlete, Staff Sgt. Ronald Simms, was a first alternate on the U.S. During the inaugural WCAP winter session, one athlete, Airman 1st Class Debra Nordyke, competed and earned a spot on the U.S. Biathlon team. Since its inception, 13 WCAP athletes have represented the United States at the world’s largest athletic stage. Many more have excelled in their sport at all levels to go on to compete at U.S. Olympic Trials. Of the 20 Air Force athletes who entered WCAP in preparation for the 2016 Olympics, five competed in Olympic Trials and one, 1st Lt. Cale Simmons secured a position on the U.S. Olympic team. Although WCAP athletes train full-time in their given sport, they are also required to complete all annual and ancillary training, professional military education, fitness assessments and other mandatory tasks required of all U.S. Air Force Airmen. Additionally, if their training location is close to an Air Force installation, they conduct clinics and briefings for Airmen and their families to educate and inform them on the importance of readiness and resiliency of the mind and body. If their training location is not on or near an Air Force base, the athletes perform duties with their local Air Force Recruiting Office. Duties are associated with their specific Air Force Specialty Codes or designed to assist in the promotion of Air Force Sports and Fitness programs, health, wellness and resiliency. WCAP is centrally managed as part of the Air Force Services Center headquartered in San Antonio, and funded using non-appropriated funds which are funds generated through base programs; commonly known as ‘troop dollars.’ Prior to acceptance into the program, the national governing body for each sport reviews athlete applications and provides recommendations to the Air Force. The chief of Air Force Services at Headquarters Air Force is the final approval of athlete participation in the program.
