Richard D. Clarke

Richard Douglas Clarke Jr. (born July 23, 1962) is a United States Army four-star general who currently serves as the 12th commander of United States Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He assumed his current assignment on March 29, 2019. He previously served as Director of Operations, Joint Special Operations Command on Operation Neptune Spear.

Military career
Clarke was born in West Germany and raised in a military family. He was commissioned into the Infantry Branch of the United States Army in 1984 upon graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from West Point and a Master of Business Administration from Benedictine College. He is a graduate of the National War College and earned a master's degree in Security and Strategic Studies.

Clarke has led soldiers at all levels in Airborne, Ranger, Mechanized and Light Infantry units in five different divisions, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and the 75th Ranger Regiment in the United States, Europe, Iraq and Afghanistan. Clarke spent six years in the 75th Ranger Regiment as a company commander from 1994 to 1996, battalion commander from 2004 to 2006 and regimental commander from 2007 to 2009. He also served as commander of 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division from 2002 to 2004. His most recent assignments include serving as the Director of Operations, Joint Special Operations Command from 2009 to 2011; Deputy Commanding General for Operations, 10th Mountain Division from 2011 to 2013; the 74th Commandant of Cadets, United States Military Academy at West Point from 2013 to 2014; commander of the 82nd Airborne Division from 2014 to 2016; Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff from 2016 to 2017; Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff from 2017 to 2019; and the 12th Commander of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) from March 29, 2019.

Clarke's deployments while serving in the aforementioned positions include Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Joint Guardian in Macedonia, three deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, four deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and one deployment as the commander of the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve.