WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate approved the promotion of Maj. Gen. Robert Clark, who had been criticized for his leadership at Fort Campbell.

President Bush nominated Clark more than a year ago to receive a third star and promotion to lieutenant general and commanding general of the Fifth U.S. Army at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Clark currently is acting commanding general there.

Clark’s nomination had been stalled because of concerns about his leadership at Fort Campbell, about 50 miles northwest of Nashville, Tenn., on the Tennessee-Kentucky border. Clark was in charge of that post in July 1999 when Pfc. Barry Winchell was bludgeoned to death by a fellow soldier who thought Winchell was gay.

Pvt. Calvin Glover of Sulphur, Okla., was sentenced to life in prison for that murder, and Spc. Justin Fisher of Lincoln, Neb., was sentenced to 121/2 years in prison for lying to investigators.

An internal investigation found evidence of anti-gay behavior in Winchell’s unit, but the Army’s inspector general concluded that Fort Campbell officials appropriately enforced the Pentagon’s policy of permitting gays to serve in the military, as long as they keep their sexual orientation to themselves.

Winchell’s mother, Patricia Kutteles of Kansas City, Mo., had urged lawmakers to oppose Clark’s promotion. Kutteles alleged Clark allowed anti-gay harassment to take place on the post before and after her son was killed.

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) was among a handful of lawmakers who spoke out against Clark’s promotion.

“It seems clear that if General Clark had exercised his responsibility to deal with the serious anti-gay harassment that was prevalent at Fort Campbell during his 17 months of command leading up to the murder of Private Winchell, the murder would probably not have occurred,” Kennedy said.

Several Republican senators voiced support for Clark, including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who called the general “one of the finest men in uniform today.”

Clark, a Vietnam War veteran, commanded the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division during the Gulf War. He was commander of Fort Campbell from February 1998 until June 2000.

The Senate approved Clark’s promotion during a voice vote, meaning individual votes were not recorded.