William E. "Kip" Ward, is a retired United States Army three-star general who previously served as Commander, United States. Africa Command from October 1, 2007 to March 8, 2011.
Education
Ward holds an Master of Arts in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Morgan State University. While at Morgan State he was a member of the National Society of Pershing Rifles. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, United States. Army Command and General Staff College, and United States. Army War College.
Career
Prior to that, Ward previously served as Deputy Commander, United States. European Command. After he left United States. Africa Command, Ward reverted to his permanent rank of major general and served as a special assistant to the Army’s vice chief of staff after the Department of Defense concluded he had misused taxpayer money. Ward then retired with the rank of lieutenant general in November 2012.
Ward was commissioned into the infantry in 1971.
His military service includes overseas tours in of Korea, Egypt, Somalia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, two tours in Germany, and a wide variety of assignments in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. He relinquished command of Africa Command to General Carter F. Ham.
Probe While a retirement ceremony was held in April 2011, Ward remained on active-duty, pending a special Army investigation by the Office of the Inspector General, United States. Department of Defense. The investigation has run 17 months and a ruling on the matter is pending with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
Unnamed "defense officials said Ward is facing numerous allegations that he spent several hundreds of thousands of dollars allowing unauthorized people, including family members, to fly on government planes, and spent excessive amounts of money on hotel rooms, transportation and other expenses when he traveled as head of Africa Command".
In a Pentagon report, Ward spent $129,000 of taxpayer money on an 11-day trip with an entourage of 13 military and civilian personnel. Rank Ward held the four-star grade of general while serving as Commander, United States. Africa Command (AFRICOM), a "position of importance and responsibility" under 10 University of Southern California 601. Ward was reduced in rank upon retirement by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
Ward"s retired rank is that of Lieutenant General which was determined to be the last rank in which he had satisfactorily served.
100 Black Men of America Omega Psi Phi Sigma Pi Phi.
Membership
While at Morgan State he was a member of the National Society of Pershing Rifles.