Bringing global history into focus through experiential learning
Military service calls many UMGC learners to locations that are rich with history, and because of the university’s global reach, faculty experts often leverage those locations in ways that bring history to life. A recent tour of the Kindsbach bunker in Germany offered just such an opportunity.
UMGC history professor Dr. Michael Mulvey led the private tour in October 2025, bringing nearly 50 learners, family members, and colleagues—including Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) teachers—to the vast underground Kindsbach bunker near Ramstein Air Base in Germany, not far from the French border.
“While I appreciate history, it can sometimes feel abstract,” said Staff Sergeant Casey Thiele, who is studying business administration and management while stationed at Ramstein. “Experiences like this help put past events—and their impact on the present—into much clearer perspective.”
Stepping back in time to World War II and the Cold War era
Construction of the bunker began in the 1930s, and the location was later selected by the German military as its western-front headquarters during World War II. As Allied forces advanced near the war’s end, members of the high command sheltered in the bunker before ultimately abandoning it and surrendering the site.
Although U.S. and NATO forces assumed control of the bunker in 1945, it was not until the early 1950s that it became a critical deterrent amid rising Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Expanded into a fortified command center, the site—officially known as the NATO Air Defense Operations Center–Kindsbach—evolved into one of NATO’s most important air defense facilities in Europe, playing a pivotal role throughout the Cold War.
Students gain perspective through experiential learning
“I wasn't aware of the bunker’s history before the tour,” Thiele said. “Seeing it in person and learning about its past truly emphasized how vital this site was to global security.”
Following a security briefing from the bunker’s owner, Wolfgang Würmell, whose family also owns the surrounding land, the tour group literally stepped into history. The tour—part of the ongoing “UMGC in Europe Presents” series—explored the history of the Cold War and how the now-abandoned bunker figured into Cold War strategic planning, with day-to-day operations inside the bunker changing as American and Soviet technology evolved.
“As an educator, I know how powerful it is for students to visit places like the Kindsbach bunker,” Mulvey said. “Experiences like this provide context, deepen understanding, and often leave a lasting impression that extends far beyond the classroom.”
“UMGC’s global reach makes learning experiences like this possible,” said UMGC President Gregory W. Fowler, PhD. “While not every learner can visit a site like this in person, every learner can benefit from the perspective it represents: treating the world as a classroom and recognizing the opportunity to learn from the people, history, and cultures we encounter every day. That global mindset is what makes the UMGC experience truly special and unique.”
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