European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Paqc4 stars and stripes july 2007 will race help Ward As Aricom commander by Charlie Coon stars and stripes Germany when William Kip Ward was tapped to Lead the new Africa the Media noted that he is the army Only Black fourstar but will the color of wards skin mean anything in his new Job it said Victor who works for the european commands logistics and Security assistance director America does Send a message to Africa that it is willing to do whatever it takes to get co opera to the extent that we pick someone who is african Ameri and who has experience in and has origins and ties to said who was born and raised in in and still has family living if general Ward was not Quali fied he would not have gotten his fourth Star and would not have been selected for the but being Black will not ensure smoother sailing for Ward or the United said Brett Schaef a fellow at the conservative Washington based heritage foun Dation who has worked extensively in i think skin color would be a much bigger Issue in Washington than it is in Schaeffer in hell be viewed As the commander in charge of Africa hell be viewed As not of a particular the new which was announced in has scheduled its initial standup for like the european and Pacific Aricom would coordinate the military activities in a Given unlike the current Aricom is being built with diplomatic and humanitarian aspects to complement efforts such As soldiers Soldier if his nomination is approved by the would be the but his Deputy would come from the state de a graduate of historically Black Morgan state University in has not spoken publicly about his which was announced he was scheduled to travel wednesday from Washington to South and stars and stripes has been unable to reach him for com when asked about the some Black ser Vic members in Europe were split on whether wards race would Benefit him when dealing with african its More of an identifying fac said master Kenneth Hardin of the 16th sustainment brigade in not necessarily that african Ward nose injured airmans Gamble pays off in the end from Page 3 the whole thing was a House of Byrne if one part came it All would come Fletcher needed every ounce of his positive Outlook when he was wheeled into the operating room on july that which lasted eight was a com plete Fletcher it eventually took More than 40 hours of sur Gery and 60 checkups and tests before Fletcher nose was completed one of the most complicated nasal reconstructions Ever performed at Johns Byrne throughout the Fletcher refused to take pain the he is that after the doctors at Walter Reed had kept him deeply so his badly wounded body and brain could begin but the pain Medicine gave him terrifying he when i woke up in the ice in Tensive care unit everyone was a and my head nurse was fish Fletcher the whole thing was a House of if one part came it All would come Patrick Byrne surgeon at Johns Hopkins medical Center it sounds but it was so i hated and Chenev i had a plate of oranges in my Hospital and the first time i smelted i thought i was f f airman Michael Fletcher on his reaction to the first scent his new nose picked up or i take pain Medicine i Start getting that woozy feeling that makes me feel like in going Back into the Hal Lucina id rather Deal with the no matter How bad it than Deal with that Fletcher in a the pain helps me focus on finally finished the last of the stitches on Fletcher nose were removed in it will take some time for the swelling to completely but Fletcher new nose is almost As Good As the old the scar ring is minimal and no one stares when he goes out in Public any the nose int just decorative its also Fletcher can and most important of All to the airman he had been told that his sense of smell might come but until he caught his first whiff of he haunt quite believed Fletcher i had a plate of oranges in my Hospital and the first time i smelled i thought i was trip he like most Byrne is careful to keep a certain Dis Tance and Semi detachment be tween himself and his it allows us to make intelligent choices about patient care with out allowing emotion to get in the he As he has worked with Fletcher Over the past year it has been if not Imossi to maintain that psychological distance from the i found id almost have to pull myself Back because i had this tendency to want to do anything and everything for Byrne you just cant not Root for the Emall Lisa Burgess at  leaders  identify any More or less with someone of an other but to actually see someone who looks like them in a key representing and the military i think it brings credibility to that com Mand having the Leader of it being a Man of knowing that he is the in really blessed to experience it said Brian Traylor of 52nd signal company in stut in glad to witness but Traylor said he did not be Lieve wards color would give him any Edge when working with Afri were american and there Traylor whatever the feeling Between those i feel it would be the same if the gentle Man was if i were Nigeria then it would be Hes in that How i would wards nomination was reminiscent of that of John Abi an Ara american of Leba Nese descent who is fluent in Ara Abizaid retired in March after nearly four years leading the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan As commander of Central at the time of Abizaid Nomina Tion in july a senior de sense official if he had been he would have been the right that he was a scholar who trained in Jordan and is of arabic descent just makes it that much Folarin said wards skin color might help him represent the United states in but it wont be Able to cover up mis there can be an unspoken and he if you look at the history of when colonists came Over and How they eventually took slaves in to a certain extent it has caused some distrust of but Ward could be Darker than charcoal if Hes carrying the wrong information or he will not be email Charlie Coon at  Dod defends Security clearance proposal by Leo Shane Iii stars and stripes department officials insist a propos Al to allow some drug men tally incompetent individuals and Dis honorable discharged troops to get High level clearances is needed to simplify the current Security the among thou Sands under consideration in the Senate version of the 2008 de sense authorization was first reported last week in the political newspaper the department officials requested lawmakers repeal restrictions on the Security clearance rules that automatically eliminate defense candidates who have been sentenced to a year in were deemed mentally incompetent by a were Dis honorable Dis charged from the military or have admitted to being addicted to an illegal defense department spokes Man Patrick Ryder said the Pentagon has not kept statistics on How Many employees or con tractors have been denied Clear Ance under the but said they Are relatively but repealing that language would allow that handful of Wor thy candidates to get Security a he the Law provides for the Deni Al or revocation of a even if a qualifying crime took place Long ago and the subject has redeemed his or her he individuals who have been deter mined trustworthy by National adjudicative standards Are affected negatively by this the change would affect Only defense and not other government House officials said the request was made by Pentagon officials when the House armed services com Mittee put together its authorization but the language was not included in the final the Senate armed services committee included the request in its draft of the not ing that officials said the current rules unduly limit the ability of the department to manage its Security clearance but in its review of the authorization members of the Senate intelligence committee blasted the saying it could Lead to mishandling of classified inform we would be deeply concerned about the Grant of Security clearances to persons who have been imprisoned for More than a year or who Are current drug the committee wrote in its report on the defense officials do have authority to Grant waivers to Candi dates barred from receiving Clear ances under the current but Ryder said that Appeal pro Cess takes the repeal of these mandatory disqualifying How would eliminate a few cases being forwarded for consideration under the pop procedures for due he senators Are expected to de Bate the Issue this and pass their version of the defense authorization Bill later this email Leo Shane at