General Ward To Head Africa Command
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON — General William “Kip” Ward, the active Army’s only black four-star general, was tapped yesterday to lead the Pentagon’s new Africa Command.
General Ward, 58, currently deputy commander of U.S. European Command, will take over a sprawling new command, which will work with African countries to strengthen governments and their militaries and make the nations less vulnerable to terrorist activities.
Initially the command will be run through the existing European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, but is expected to become an independent unit by the end of September 2008.
Defense Secretary Gates announced in a press release that President Bush had nominated General Ward for the new post. “I am honored by President Bush’s and Secretary Gates’s confidence and look forward to the confirmation process,” General Ward said in a written statement. “In the meantime, I remain focused on the important work of U.S. European Command.”
