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    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      This is the official portrait of Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark.EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
                
                Second Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                May 28, 1986First Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 May 28, 1988Captain                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          May 28, 1990Major                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            September 01, 1997Lieutenant Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               May 01, 2000Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          August 01, 2004Brigadier General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                November 18, 2009Major General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    June 04, 2013Lieutenant General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               October 21, 2016Engage OnFacebook PostsYour browser is incompatible with this widget.
                        
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        This is the official portrait of Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark.Lieutenant General RICHARD M. CLARKLt. Gen. Richard M. Clark is the Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. He directs a four-year regimen of military training, academics, athletic and character development programs leading to a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force or United States Space Force.
Lt. Gen. Clark graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1986. His commands include the 34th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota; 12th Flying Training Wing, Randolph AFB, Texas; Eighth Air Force, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, and Joint Functional Component Commander for Global Strike, Offutt AFB, Nebraska. He has also served as a White House Fellow in Washington, D.C.; the Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado; Senior Defense Official/Defense Attaché, Cairo, Egypt, and as the Commander, Third Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Prior to his current assignment, Lt. Gen. Clark served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.**EDUCATION**
1986 Bachelor of Science, Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1991 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1994 Master of Arts, Human Resource Development, Webster University, St. Louis
1996 Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
1998 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Strategic Studies, Naval Command and Staff College, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
1999 Master of Airpower Studies, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 Distinguished Graduate, Master of National Security Studies, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2006 National Security Managers Course, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2010 U.S.-Russia Security Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2014 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 Pinnacle Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.**ASSIGNMENTS**
1. May 1986−February 1987, Junior Varsity Football Coach and Candidate Counselor, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2. February 1987−February 1988, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
3. February 1988−November 1991, EC-135 Pilot, 2nd Airborne Command and Control Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
4. November 1991−November 1994, B-1 Pilot, 28th Bomb Squadron, McConnell AFB, Kan.
5. November 1994−July 1997, B-1 Instructor Pilot, B-1 Flight Training Unit, 28th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
6. July 1997−June 1998, Student, Naval Command and Staff College, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
7. June 1998−June 1999, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 1999−August 2000, Action Officer, Air Force Office of Legislative Liaison, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
9. August 2000−August 2001, Fellow, President's Commission on White House Fellowships, Washington, D.C.
10. August 2001−May 2002, Assistant Director of Operations, 77th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
11. May 2002−May 2004, Commander, 34th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
12. May 2004−June 2005, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. June 2005−January 2006, Vice Commander, 12th Flying Training Wing, Randolph AFB, Texas
14. January 2006−March 2008, Commander, 12th FTW, Randolph AFB, Texas
15. April 2008−April 2009, Director, Joint Interagency Task Force-Iraq, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Baghdad
16. May 2009−July 2010, Vice Commander, Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Barksdale AFB, La.
17. July 2010−August 2012, Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
18. August 2012−August 2014, Senior U.S. Defense Official; Chief, Office of Military Cooperation; and Defense Attaché, Cairo, U.S. Central Command, Cairo
19. August 2014−April 2015, Vice Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
20. April 2015−October 2016, Commander, Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Barksdale AFB, La., and Joint Functional Component Commander for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
21. October 2016−October 2018, Commander, Third Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
22. October 2018−August 2020, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
23. September 2020–present, Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.**SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS**
1. April 2008−April 2009, Director, Joint Interagency Task Force-Iraq, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Baghdad as a colonel
2. August 2012−August 2014, Senior U.S. Defense Official; Chief, Office of Military Cooperation; and Defense Attaché, Cairo, U.S. Central Command, Cairo, as a brigadier general
3. April 2015−October 2016, Joint Functional Component Commander for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as a major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating:  command pilot
Flight hours:  more than 4,200, 400 combat hours
Aircraft flown: B-1, EC-135, KC-135, T-1, T-38, T-6 and C-21**MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS**
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Action Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal**OTHER HONORS**
Honorary Doctorate, University of Maryland Global Campus**EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION**
Second Lieutenant May 28, 1986
First Lieutenant May 28, 1988
Captain May 28, 1990
Major Sept. 1, 1997
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2000
Colonel Aug. 1, 2004
Brigadier General Nov. 18, 2009
Major General June 4, 2013
Lieutenant General Oct. 21, 2016
(Current as of October 2020)
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