Ward to AFRICOM:

July 11, 2007

President Bush has nominated Army Gen. William Ward to become the first commander of the new US Africa Command, which when initially operational in October will be a sub-unified command under US European Command. The Pentagon expects Ward, who currently serves as EUCOM deputy commander, to usher in AFRICOM as a separate unified command by Sept. 30, 2008. He has been instrumental in helping craft the new command’s agenda and operating structure, which will include a State Department official as one of its deputy commanders.

Related Content

US Troops Return to Somalia as Al-Shabab Threat Increases

May 16, 2022
President Joe Biden approved a Defense Department request to return "under 500" American troops to Somalia, where the al-Shabab terrorist group has grown in wealth and influence and increased the tempo of its attacks since U.S. troops withdrew in January 2021. A senior administration official told members of the press…

Mitchell Institute’s New UAV Study Center Looks at Drones in a China Fight

May 15, 2022
Unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous aircraft may provide a solution to operating in heavily contested domains such as the Taiwan Straits, according to a panel of expert who suggested operationalizing artificial intelligence for such purposes sooner rather than later. The group gathered virtually to help launch the Mitchell Institute for…

On NATO’s Eastern Flank, Navy Growlers Highlight Air Force’s Electronic Warfare Gap

May 13, 2022
Navy E/A-18 Growlers are conducting NATO enhanced air policing in Eastern Europe near Ukraine to show Russia that the U.S. stands ready with electronic warfare capabilities. But what the Navy is doing also highlights what the Air Force can't. Pilots from Navy Electronic Attack Squadron 134, or VAQ-134—nicknamed "Garudas"—who spoke…

Kendall Sees Room to Change Space Force FYDP—But Not F-35 Plan

May 13, 2022
The Space Force’s budget got a big bump in the Pentagon’s 2023 budget request, with a topline of $24.5 billion—36 percent more than fiscal 2022’s enacted level. And even more money in the years ahead is likely, according to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. If Kendall’s prediction is accurate, it…

Three Vanguards to Become Programs of Record in 2023, Air Force S&T Boss Says

May 13, 2022
Three of the Air Force’s four Vanguard programs—high-profile ventures chosen for extra investment and accelerated development—are slated to become programs of record by the end of 2023, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for science, technology, and engineering told Congress. The statement seemingly affirmed the department’s approach to…

Guard F-16 Skids Off Runway in South Dakota, Pilot Safe

May 12, 2022
An F-16 from the South Dakota Air National Guard’s 114th Fighter Wing slid off the runway in Sioux Falls, S.D., on May 11, with images appearing to show the jet’s landing gear collapsed and its nose damaged. The pilot, however, is safe, the wing said in a statement posted to…