William E. “Kip” Ward

Leadership | Strategy | Team Building

A life of service —
at home and abroad

General William E. “Kip” Ward is a retired U.S. Army general, decorated combat veteran, and distinguished leader whose four-decade career has spanned military service, diplomacy, international affairs, business, and engagement around the globe.

A native of Baltimore and a graduate of Morgan State University, Ward rose through the Army ranks to command at every level, serving in assignments across North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific. In 2007, he became the inaugural Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), where he was responsible for establishing a new interagency command dedicated to U.S. defense and security relationships across Africa.

    • Commander, 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Operation Restore Hope, Mogadishu, Somalia

    • Chief, Office of Military Cooperation, Egypt

    • Commander, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Hawai’i

    • Commander, Stabilization Force, Operation Joint Forge, Sarajevo, Bosnia

    • U.S. Security Coordinator, Israel - Palestinian Authority

    • Commander, U.S. Africa Command

    • University Lectures — George Washington University, Yale University, Naval Postgraduate School, Stanford University

    • Public Lectures — TEDxPentagon, Footprints: The Legacy We Leave; Borlaug Dialogue, World Food Prize Foundation; Potomac Institute for Policy Studies

    • Former President — SENTEL Corporation

    • Chair, Advisory Board — SA-TECH, Incorporated

    • Strategic Advisor — Vectrus/V2X, Incorporated

    • Life Member, Council on Foreign Relations

    • Member, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition

    • Contributor, Atlantic Council

    • Former Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Corporate Council on Africa

General Ward's memoir

Ward — a lifetime member of the Pershing Rifles and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. — is widely recognized for his emphasis on partnership, relationship-building, sustained engagement, mentorship, and collaborative leadership.

Improving the Foxhole: Ward’s Way

Reflections on Leadership, Life, and Service

In military terms, a foxhole is a pit that soldiers dig in the ground that gives them protection from enemy fire. In more generalizable terms, a foxhole is any position that we occupy (for whatever period of time) and continuously enhance as we work to achieve a mission.

— General William E. “Kip” Ward

In his book, Improving the Foxhole: Ward’s Way, retired General William E. “Kip” Ward uses the context of myriad life experiences to share his insights into leaving our respective foxholes in better standing than they were in when we first got there. These “foxhole lessons” are derived from very specific experiences across four decades of service but are generalizable in ways that any leader or aspiring leader can adapt to their own circumstances.

Improving the Foxhole: Ward’s Way:
Reflections on Leadership, Life, and Service

Written by William E. “Kip” Ward

Foreword by U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield

Published by Curry Brothers Publishing

Get your copy of improving the foxhole: ward's way
Book titled 'Improving the Foxhole: Ward's Way' with a U.S. military officer on the cover, a silhouette of soldiers, and a world map in the background.