Four-star Army General William “Kip” Ward is accused of allowing family members fly on government planes and for spending excessive amounts of taxpayer money on hotel rooms and transportation during his stint as head of the Africa Command,
Fox News reported.
Ward, the first leader of the U.S. Africa Command, could be forced to retire as a three-star general if allegations are proven true. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to decide on Ward’s military fate after a review of a Defense Department inspector general’s report on the matter, which is based on a 17-month investigation, according to Fox News.
The total of misspent funds may rival the $823,000 allegedly spent by General Services Administration employees, who were accused of a spending spree during a 2010 Las Vegas conference, Fox News reported.
The Army halted Ward’s plans to retire last year because of the investigation.
Ward’s service has included overseas tours in Korea, Egypt, Somalia, Bosnia, Israel, two tours in Germany.
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