William E. Ward
| William E. Ward | |
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 General William E. "Kip" Ward |
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| Nickname | Kip |
| Born | March 6, 1949 |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1971-2011 |
| Rank |  General |
| Commands held | U.S. Africa Command Deputy Commander, U.S. European Command 25th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | Operation Restore Hope |
| Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Superior Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit (4) |
William E. "Kip" Ward (born March 6, 1949),[1] is a retired United States Army four-star general who last served as Commander, U.S. Africa Command from October 1, 2007 to March 8, 2011. He was the first officer to hold this position. General Ward previously served as Deputy Commander, U.S. European Command. General Ward was commissioned into the infantry in 1971. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and U.S. Army War College. He holds a M.A. in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University and a B.A. in Political Science from Morgan State University. His military service includes overseas tours in Korea, Egypt, Somalia, Bosnia, Israel, two tours in Germany, and a wide variety of assignments in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. He relinquished command of USAFRICOM to GEN Carter F. Ham, who previously served as Commander, US Army Europe (USAREUR).
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[edit] Command Assignments
His command assignments include:
- Platoon Leader, 3d Battalion (Airborne), 325th Infantry, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Rifle Company Commander, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 17th Infantry, 2d Infantry Division, Camp Howze, Korea
- Commander, 5th Battalion, 9th Infantry, 2d Brigade, later G-4 (Logistics), 6th Infantry Division (Light), Fort Wainwright, Alaska
- Commander, 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, New York and Operation Restore Hope, Mogadishu, Somalia
- Assistant Division Commander (Support), 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Commanding General 25th Infantry Division (Light) and U.S. Army, Hawaii, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
- Commander, Stabilization Force, Operation Joint Forge, Sarajevo, Bosnia
[edit] Staff Assignments
His staff assignments include:
- Executive Officer, U.S. Army Military Community Activity – U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Aschaffenburg, Germany
- Executive Officer, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 7th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division, US Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany
- S-4 (Logistics), 210th Field Artillery Brigade, VII Corps, US Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany
- Staff Officer (Logistics), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, US Army, Washington, DC
- Executive Officer to the Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, Washington, DC
- Deputy Director for Operations, J-3, National Military Command Center, The Joint Staff, Washington, DC
- Chief, Office of Military Cooperation, American Embassy, Egypt
- Vice Director for Operations, J-3, The Joint Staff, Washington, DC
Prior to assuming command of AFRICOM, he was the Deputy Commanding General/Chief of Staff, US Army Europe and Seventh Army. While in this capacity he was selected by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to serve as the United States Security Coordinator, Israel - Palestinian Authority where he served from March 2005 through December 2005.
[edit] Awards and decorations
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Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with one bronze Oak Leaf Cluster) |
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Army Distinguished Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster)[2] |
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Defense Superior Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters) |
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Legion of Merit (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters) |
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Defense Meritorious Service Medal |
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Meritorious Service Medal (with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters) |
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Joint Service Commendation Medal |
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Army Commendation Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters) |
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Army Achievement Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster) |
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Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters) |
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National Defense Service Medal (with two bronze service stars) |
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Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze service star |
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Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal |
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Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |
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Korea Defense Service Medal |
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Humanitarian Service Medal with bronze service star |
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Army Service Ribbon |
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Overseas Service Ribbon (with award numeral 6) |
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NATO Medal for Yugoslavia with bronze service star |
- Canadian Parachutist Wings (Red Maple Leaf / Non-Operational)
William E. Ward received the Trumpet Award in 2010[3] as well as the BEYA award for Lifetime Achievement.[4]
[edit] Membership
- Member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity
- National Society of Pershing Rifles
- Member of the 17th Infantry Regiment Association
- Honorary Member of Sergeant Audie Murphy Club
[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: William E. Ward |
[edit] External links
- United States Army generals
- Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
- Recipients of the Legion of Merit
- Recipients of the Combat Infantryman Badge
- African-American military personnel
- Pennsylvania State University alumni
- Morgan State University alumni
- United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
- 1950 births
- Living people
- Recipients of the Expert Infantryman Badge
- Recipients of the Army Commendation Medal
- Recipients of the Joint Service Commendation Medal
- Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
- Recipients of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal
