And, in his initial briefings on Operation Allied Force, Clark made that understanding abundantly clear. Not surprisingly, conservatives in the press have chimed in. Sure, the air campaign over Yugoslavia has, to this point, been a failure, which means Clark, as the campaign's commanding officer, must take his share of the blame. Part of the disdain for Clark among many military types comes down to plain jealousy. As an all-American swimmer who graduated first in his class from West Point in 1966, Clark has always been an object of envy.
Some guys move up to be a bishop faster than others.
Clark moved very fast. He earned his third star in 1994 with a promotion to director of strategy for the Joint Staff, and his fourth came as commander of the U.S. Southern Command in Panama from 1996-97. Along the way, Clark's cerebral approach did not endear him to the Army brass or foot soldiers. Clark also weakened his standing in the Army when he accepted the appointment with the Joint Chiefs. Since his joint position required him to work in tandem with all four branches rather than representing the Army's interests alone, resentment o f him within the Army only intensified.