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General William Ward has been under investigation for about 18 months for lavish spending; Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to release a decision about what will happen to him in coming days.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to release a decision about a four-star Army general accused of extravagant spending, NBC News has learned.
General William “Kip” Ward, the first head of the new U.S. Africa Command, was accused of misspending hundreds of thousands of dollars on travel and hotels.
The estimated total raises comparisons with the $823,000 allegedly spent by dozens of employees of the General Services Administration during an October 2010 conference at a Las Vegas resort.
Ward, 63, has been under investigation for about 18 months. He retired but was kept on active duty in Northern Virginia, where he has been serving as a special assistant to the vice chief of the Army.
That Army office long has been used as a holding area for general officers of varying ranks. For some it's a way station where senior officers under investigation go to await their fate.
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It remains unclear whether Ward will face disciplinary action.
Since Ward's case is in Panetta's hands, under the Code of Military Justice, Ward would be spared criminal charges and a court martial. Any punishment, such as demotion in rank, would be considered "administrative."
Ward could be forced to retire as a three-star, which officials said could cost him as much as $1 million in retirement pay over time.
In order for Ward to be demoted to two-star rank, investigators would have to conclude that he also had problems prior to moving to Africa Command, and officials said that does not appear to be the case.
Gen. Carter Ham took over the command last year, gaining accolades as one of two key U.S. military leaders directing operations in the Libya conflict.
The Associated Press and NBC's Jim Miklaszewski contributed reporting.
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Leave a Comment:
Rank has its privileges.
Stupidity knows no bounds.
I surmise he got bit in the a$$ by both!
Demotion? Yes!
Retirement? Immediately, if not sooner!!
The loss of a star, and the reduction in retirement pay, will make the proper point ... and make it again each month when the check arrives in the mailbox.
I'm wondering why a dude who is 63 years old is still on active duty....and if he can pass a PT test. He should have retired 10 years ago....the Army is a young guy's organization.
Demotion? Definitely. Retirement ? No, keep him in the army and give him kitchen detail until he either pays back all the money or drops dead while washing dishes.
And what about Pepsoi and her spending thousands of taxpayers dollars on her travel. This man is a military man who would get crap as a retirement compared to congress men and women who serve on term in office. Lets go after the real crooks!
if spending is to get this guy demoted..lets go after all politicans for not doing their own jobs and wasting tax payers money on their own spending sprees.
Not the first time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Riggs
And 63 is not all that old for a flag officer. Under the old APFT he would have had to do 16 push ups to reach minimum passing score for the 62+ category under the old APFT. He doesn't look like he would have too much trouble doing 16 push ups.
Don't know if the new APRT has gone into effect yet.
They make take a star back but that'll probably be it.
Had it not been so close to the elections he would just have been allowed to retire.
He is still being allowed to retire.
A debt crisis with a national debt of $16 trillion and we have to read about this crap. Go figure with Obama leadership or should I say lack of leadership.
I'm sure he was considered as the best man for the job by the White House, "African Command" indeed. Much like the United National experience in Geneva with overspending leadership if you remember.
What about misappropriation of funds, theft,embezzlement.......
Hundreds of thousands of dollars misappropriated and he gets to retire? Bad conduct discharge and no benefits is appropriate. But he's black so nothing's going to happen to him.
cunical, it is not the fact that he is black that is important here. It is the fact that he is an OFFICER!
He's black nothing will happen to him. Leon Panetta is wasting his time.
When the Federal Reserve has $9 trillion dollars missing while Congressional Hearings on it cannot get a straight answer from the Fed for almost a year on this or where the money is or went, and there really is no accountability or over sight with military spending - this really doesn't surprise me...
And what the heck is the U.S. Africa Command? If this is what I think it is, I thought segregation ended in the military after WWII...
Additionally - with $9 trillion not accounted for by the Fed - why hasn't this been in the news - it is almost a year old and the Fed comptrollers still cannot answer congressmen with any definitive answer - is it that the news is really controlled by the rulers of our country and it is supposed to be hush-hush and we, the citizens are not supposed to know...
This is what poor leadership at the top gets you:
Turbo Tax Timmy
Fast and Furious Holder
A gay lesbian Brigadier General
This clown
What's next?
Yeah go ahead---waste your time demoting this man right before his retirement over MONEY but yet the soldier who abused, taunted, and bullied another soldier literally to death(suicide) only gets 60 days in jail!! Its sad that money means more than a life these days----geez, what is the world coming to.
I guess General Ward forgot who pays his salary. What was Gen. Ward thinking, he knows that government spending has been an issue during this recession. I hope that Gen. Ward is demoted for unbecoming and abuse of federal funds. I don't think a million lost over time will matter but the general can get his star returned over time on appeal. Gen. Ward, you embarrassed me and the US military.
Popo-1692537:
Really? How?
How did he miss spend the money? What are the rules he broke?
General William “Kip” Ward, the first head of the new U.S. Africa Command, was accused of misspending hundreds of thousands of dollars on travel and hotels.
Homer??? WTH kindof a monikkur izzat? You do NOT sound like any home run hitter tome. Yu jus sound like a WANNABEE 4 star generallee, ... one who thinks this is A-O-K 2!!!
He may be just like one of Obama's sons. Crooked, thief, and black. Obama will step in and let him retire at full rank and pay. Mark my words.
A staff sergeant and two pfc's is all the "Africa Command" we need!
Sounds like Obama. You just can't trust those black folks with money. Boot them both out and make them pay back every penny they spent.
Everyone knows stupid racists like you exist, what's so alarming is the volume of stupid racists who so loudly spout the diarrhea that comes out of what should be a mouth.
Don't you know what a disgrace and embarrassment you are to YOUR race?
That's strange. Those Enron characters and just about every time we turn around, it's a non-black stealing from the pot.
You're right, unsheltered, by far the vastly worse thefts and horrific crimes against humanity are perpetrated by mostly wealthy white men.
That said, never underestimate the stupidity of the average person. We wouldn't have a criminal Military Industrial Complex, looting bankers on Wall Street, or the men and women who perpetrate the most heinous crimes if it weren't for a nation of mostly imbeciles. Hitler was voted into office by disillusioned and mostly not too bright Germans who wanted a magic man to solve their problems. Plus whenever people hit hard times the WORST in them comes out, not the best. That's why poverty is such an insidious affliction: the poor tend to self-destruct and are, for the most part, of little productive value to a better society.
While it is true banks pulled a large number of criminal and unethical practices along with other greed driven businessmen and women to drive up the housing market to ridiculous heights, it still took a willing and complicit public to think they could buy a house they really couldn't afford or that their house could be a get rich quick scheme. You can't cheat an honest man or woman.
Just as large a percentage of whites as blacks are responsible for the still collapsing housing market, a criminal Military Industrial Complex that exports true evil and murder just to make trillions more in blood money (the BIGGEST-BY FAR-drain on the GDP), and trillions given to corporations and other super rich in the REAL welfare that is ruining this country.
But it's easier and more self-deluding to blame others for your own woes. Racists are among the lowest on the intellectual ladder, the pot calling the kettle black, and either organically or intentionally so stupid they can't connect the obvious dots. Normally, those who have achieved a decent life for themselves by using their brain and efforts to better themselves and not waste time blaming and tearing down others just shake their heads at the idiots who mostly just ruin their own lives with their hatred and stupidity. The problem is, if you end up with a majority who vote that are imbeciles, you end up with a Hitler in office. Obama is NOT the problem. He's just a politician trying to clean up the disaster left by his predecessor. What's disconcerting is the GOP have a man and his running mate who stated they want to RESTART the policies that began this disaster. And enough fools may vote these crooks in! And the stupid, angry people only get stupider and angrier, while they repeat meaningless catchphrases "War is Peace" "Killing is Patriotism" "The poor are responsible for the thefts by the rich" etc. THAT'S how a Hitler gets elected into office.
I guess with a Bro as Commander-in-Chief he thought he could get away with it as one more "entitlement" for his slave ancestors.
Hey people dont forget Nancy Pelosi used a government jet to fly from coast to coast at her leisure. The present speaker flys commercially. So lets say we give this general the benefit of the doubt. After all his service he should be cut a little slack...
Thats normal and common practice for the Speaker of the House dillweed. I don't hear you belly aching about that cry-baby Boner / Boener.
What about all the travel expenses that Michelle has spent???
Dump his happy dumb ash. Show him the door. Give him a coupon book for Denny's and thats it. He is disgusting, I know he is not the only one, but right now its show time and he is the star.
Got it, so he is getting punished for over spending or foolishly spending tax payer money. Agree, he should suffer the consequence. But, wait a minute, isn't that also 99 % of all of our elected officials in government? City, county, state, federal. Let's demote ALL of them and cut their pay !!!!!!!!!
"Ward could be forced to retire as a three-star, which officials said could cost him as much as $1 million in retirement pay over time."
Quick glance at a military pay chart: The loss of a star would cost him about $20K a year in retirement.
He's 63. They're projecting he lives to 113?
If obama had a brother he would look like Ward.
With the TRILLIONS being looted by the private military corporations (Haliburton, et. al.) you would think it's a little absurd to be concerned with the highest ranking officers spending the comparative pennies they might indulge in.
http://www.alternet.org/story/140558/report:_billions_of_dollars_lost_to_contractor_fraud,_waste_and_abuse/
This is just looking for and finding a scapegoat to cover other vastly more massive financial thefts and crimes against humanity. I also find it a little curious he's black. This race based anger is effecting a disturbing number of the population. All you need to segue from here into a fascist state is to have Oligarchy, where the vast bulk of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of a very few....Uh oh.... :^(
In real terms we are now spending 400 billion more on defense each year then when Eisenhower left office after Sputnik and a real Cold War. The retirement that ranking officers make is bull. The military needs to be cut in half and pensions and health care (except for injuries received during service) need to also be cut back. We can do with a lot less officers. When Mullen chairman of joint chiefs of staff admits to congress the greatest national security threat facing the US is our debt we all need to take our heads out of our As$$$es. Both of the fools running for office are only proposing more and more defense budgets. Of course Romney has his head so far up Israels Prime Minister's behind I am sure he will just get us into another war.
Yeah...cut the pensions and medical care for retired military.
What a GREAT way to insure that no one stays in the military past their initial enlistment, if they even sign up in the first place.
The benefits granted to military retirees are EARNED benefits, by having spent 20+ years in a job that by civilian standards is extremely stressful and usually requires a cumulative total of several years spent away from home and family.
A civilian with that degree of "travel" and as much stress and risk as our military personnel undertake would make about 2-5 times as much in salary as our military personnel do.
By cutting back or removing the retirement benefits of the military, all you're solving in the long run is our enemies' problem with "how to defeat the US military."
Our community organizer has turned our country into the movie idiocracy. Maybe we should go see 2016 when it comes out.
Jeanette, nothing in this story has anything to do with Obama? Maybe you should just go!
Remember, for every foul-ball caught, ten more are making it over the fence.
IF guilty, give him a Big Chicken Dinner (BCD), if combat wounded, take care of his infirmities. Leadership from above should be held to a higher standard. If he is guilty and they make him retire as a 3 star then your morale in the ranks will suffer. A 3 star still gets one heck of a retirement check. As a side bar, Africa command? Really, sounds like a made up command for political hacks and ineffective leaders with connections to go and "fade away".
GO-get'tum Uncle Leon P n' uncle Sammy too!!! yessssireeeebillllybobbythornton thinkzz so too, uno it.
Get right after those thar scallywagss.