Mark A . Clark ( general ) Major General Mark A . “ Droopy ” Clark is the fourth and current commander of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command ( MARSOC ) . He assumed command of MARSOC in August 2012 . Early life . Clark is a native of Sioux Falls and was raised in South Dakota and Minnesota . He graduated from South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Commercial Economics in 1980 . According to a Q & A interview with the SDSU alumni association while Clark was serving as the Chief of Staff of Special Operations Command he said his most memorable moment while attending SDSU was " without a doubt , Hobo Day . " Military career . Upon completion of Officer Candidate School in June 1981 Clark was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps . Afterwards , he attended Flight School and was designated a Naval Aviator in May 1983 . He was assigned to fly the CH - 53 Super Stallion after additional training at Marine Corps Air Station New River , North Carolina . He participated in both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield . His first involvement with Special Operations came as a result of a pilot exchange program with the U . S . Air Force where Clark was assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron operating the MH - 53J Pave Low . While at the 20th SOS Clark was deployed in support of Operation Deliberate Force during the Bosnian War . In From 2001 to 2002 Clark served as Operations Officer in Task Force K - Bar during the early years of Operation Enduring Freedom . Clark attended the United States Army War College from 2002 to 2003 . While a student there he wrote a 67 - page Strategy Research Project titled " Should the Marine Corps expand its role in special operations . " He was the Director of Operations at United States Special Operations Command from 2009 to 2011 . While serving as the Director of Operations in January 2011 it was announced by the Secretary of Defense , Robert Gates , that Clark was nominated for promotion to Major General . In May 2011 he replaced Joseph Votel as SOCOM ' s Chief of Staff as Votel went off to assume command of Joint Special Operations Command from Admiral William H . McRaven . Clark served as SOCOM ' s Chief of Staff until August 2012 when he assumed command of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command from Major General Paul E . Lefebvre He is the first MARSOC commander to have served previously at SOCOM . Awards and badges . Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia Naval Aviator insignia Bronze Star Meritorious Service Medal Aerial Achievement Medal Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal Joint Service Achievement Medal Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Combat Action Ribbon Navy Presidential Unit Citation Joint Meritorious Unit Award Navy Unit Commendation Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal National Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon NATO Medal Kuwait Liberation Medal ( Saudi Arabia ) Kuwait Liberation Medal ( Kuwait )