Military officer William E. Ward was born on June 3, 1949 in Baltimore, Maryland. Attending Morgan State University, he was commissioned Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)'s distinguished Military Graduate and Infantry second lieutenant. Graduating with his B.A. degree in Political Science in 1971, he received his M.A. degree in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University in 1979. Ward commanded at every level from Lieutenant through General. His military command and staff assignments included serving as a Commander during Operation Restore Hope in Mogadishu, Somalia and Operation Joint Forge in Sarajevo, Bosnia among others, and as U.S. Security Coordinator Israel and Palestinian Authority. The inaugural Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany from 2007 to 2011, Ward won military honors including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters, the Combat Infantryman's Badge and the Master Parachutist Badge. He served as the President of SENTEL Corp.
Alternative title
History Makers video oral history with Gen. William Ward