General William Ward was the first commander of AFRICOM, taking the role in 2007. He had a long career in the US Army, becoming the first African American combatant commander. As AFRICOM commander, his goals were to bolster African military capabilities, degrade terrorist groups, and foster economic growth on the continent in support of US interests. Ward aimed to create stability in Africa through these efforts. He served as AFRICOM commander from 2007 to 2011.

1. General William
Ward and AFRICOM

2. What Is AFRICOM?
 AFRICOM, or the United States Africa Command, is a unified combatant
command of the United States Armed Forces that was created in 2007.
 It is headquartered in Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany where it is
staffed by 1500 personnel. As an interagency unified combatant command,
currently there are five Senior Foreign Service officers in leadership
positions with representatives from 13 government agencies and
departments serving as key staff personnel.

3. The First Commander of AFRICOM
 General William Ward was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the inaugural
Commander of AFRICOM on September 28, 2007.
 William E. Ward has had a long decorated career in the United States
Army, which started when he was commissioned as an Infantry Second
Lieutenant in 1971after he graduated from Morgan State University in
Baltimore as a Distinguished Military Graduate in the ROTC.
 General William Ward became the first African American Combatant
Commander in the history of the U.S. military when he became the
inaugural Commander of AFRICOM.

4. General William Ward’s Military Service
 Before he became the Commander of AFRICOM, he was promoted in 2006 as the fifth 4-
Star African American General in the U.S. Army to serve as Deputy Commander U.S.
European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. William E. Ward’s military service included the
following:
 Overseas tours in Korea, Egypt, Somalia, Bosnia, Israel, and Germany
 Multiple assignments in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii
 His command and troop assignments include Commander of 5th Battalion, 9th
Infantry, 2nd Brigade at Fort Wainwright, Alaska; Commander of the 2nd Brigade,
10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York and during Operation Restore Hope
in Mogadishu, Somalia; Assistant Division Commander of the 82nd Airborne
Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Commanding General 25th Infantry Division
and U.S. Army Hawaii at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii; Commander of the
Stabilization Force during Operation Joint Forge in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

5. Staff and Military Assignments before
Commanding AFRICOM
 Executive Officer to the Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Pentagon
 Deputy Director for Operations of the National Military Command Center
 Chief of the Office of Military Cooperation, Cairo, Egypt
 Vice Director for Operations J-31, the Joint Staff, Pentagon (during the 9/11 attacks)
 Deputy Commanding General and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Europe and Seventh
Army, Heidelberg, Germany
 United States Security Coordinator, Israel-Palestinian Authority, Israel

6. What Is the Purpose of AFRICOM?
 General William Ward gave an interview with Charlie Rose in 2007 shortly after he was
confirmed as Commander of AFRICOM.
 He said that global interconnectedness required a stable Africa in realizing United
States’ interests, now and into the future.
 AFRICOM was created in support of U.S. national security interests to bolster the
capabilities of African militaries to carry out security and peace-making missions, to
enhance foreign policy objectives, to degrade terrorist organizations, to support
infrastructure developments and democratic systems, and foster economic growth on
the continent.
 General William Ward is currently the longest-serving Commander of AFRICOM, serving
from October 1, 2007 to March 8, 2011.