Enlisted soldiers who frequently break the rules in the Army typically don’t get much mercy.

The same thing should apply to generals.

In fact, if allegations against a four-star general accused of abusing his position prove true, the Pentagon must show that rank doesn’t have its privileges.

A Defense Department investigation has found that Gen. William “Kip” Ward, who headed the U.S. Africa Command, used military vehicles to shuttle his wife on shopping trips and to a spa and billed the government for a refueling stop overnight in Bermuda, where the couple stayed in a $750 suite.

That’s not all. The 99-page report alleges excessive unauthorized spending and travel costs for the general, including lengthy stays at lavish hotels for Ward, his wife and his staff members, and the use of five-vehicle motorcades when he traveled to Washington.

It said he also misused his position and his staff’s time and received reimbursement for travel expenses that far exceeded the approved daily military rate without approval.

The general is facing possible demotion for his activities, which is only right. If a soldier who had a lesser rank was found abusing his position, he’d be busted down immediately.

He also could be forced to repay the government, which is only right. The U.S. military is facing drastic spending cuts. It’s hard to pay the bills when generals and their wives are spending U.S. tax dollars on $750-a-night hotel rooms.

It’s likely that a lot of soldiers who do their jobs for less pay and less glory are watching this case to see whether the Army holds its top brass accountable.

If the allegations are true, then the general deserves to get busted.

— Savannah Morning News, Georgia, Aug. 20