General Clarke's other assignments as a general officer include: 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; and the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division from 2014 to 2016. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. They did the toughest work of fighting and killing in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. As a force highly dependent on what the Space Force provides, what opportunities do you see for your command to assist in how the Space Force evolves? And so I greatly appreciate it. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? What were trying to do at all times is tap into our nations incredibly deep pool of talent. We are going to continue to recruit and retain the best talent that our nation can provide. This kind of competition is not new, Clarke said, but advanced tools and technology have given adversaries new ways to compete against the United States, including in cyberspace and the "information space." Joint Force Quarterly 105. The 2019 raid to kill Islamic State founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in northwest Syria, on the other hand, was a much more complicated operation, he said. And there were some elements of the force that were less than one-to-one [dwell ratio]. What I found was that year was just one step of what must be a lifelong investment in the profession and in continued study as a military professional. 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Performance & security by Cloudflare. MT: The original review did not address behavioral health issues. As you know, SOCOM has three Department-wide coordinating authority roles: countering violent extremist organizations, and the Internet-based military information support operations, . Its incredible what theyre doing there. Because, as weve discovered during this journey, that you can get somebody better physically, but if cognitively and behaviorally and psychologically, theyre not where they need to be, theyre still not going to be effective. RC: I dont. MT: Lets talk about the comprehensive review of the force in the wake of numerous problems involving accusations of war crimes, drug running, murder and other misbehavior. If you come to SOF, you know that were born purple. Id say we integrate with the joint force at a lower echelon than any other force. JSOU is involved in all our commanders conferences to see where the command is going and how to be linked. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. Thats an important part that aligns with the Constitutionwith civilian oversight and a military accountable to civilian leadership. Yet the force continues to be plagued by incidents like the December slaying of a Delta Force NCO at Fort Bragg. I consider it one of SOCOMs most important resources in the training, equipping, and development of our force. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and commissioned into the Infantry Branch in 1984. All of those are really important in todays environment. As everyone is aware, misinformation and disinformation are being sown by many of our competitors, and the problem is only growing. Three of them were amputees, one his internal organs needed some recheck. And so today, while you and I are sitting here, weve got about 5,000 members of SOCOM that are deployed globally in 60 nations around the world. As I talked about earlier with the J5, theyre helping us solve those problems. But that doesnt mean we shouldnt just keep moving along without paying attention. We all are sure that the landscape is changing and that we must in fact prepare the joint force for those possibilities. But as you as you know, SOCOM is always on tap for crisis response. On the bio side, all you have to do is look at COVID-19 and what the pandemic has done to our nation. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and was commissioned into the Infantry in 1984. Some of SOCOM's most challenging achievements in the last decade, such as the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, may end up looking easy compared to the challenges it will face in the future, Clarke said. RC: Because we need the best of America. Richard A. Clarke was born in 1951, the son of a chocolate factory worker and a nurse. That was just one notorious incident. Thats pretty damn good. He also talked about SOFs role in a potential conflict with Russia and China and, possibly, in Afghanistan after the troop withdrawal later this year. RC: What Id say is, we have to make a steady effort. 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. SOCOM will have to innovate to meet future threats, by investing in both its people and new crucial technologies, he said. What is your assessment of how significant a problem each is and what are you doing to get a handle on them? The space capabilities start here on the terrestrial side. And in some cases, I think that the aspect that I would mention, it is that were there at the behest of those countries, but in some cases, its theres also counterterrorism threats. JFQ: Can you discuss how you see the impact of technology that used to be solely available to nation-states and their militaries but is now available to anyone who can buy it? As to your point on the JMWC, as well, yes, we want to bring folks that are native, that understand the nuances of specific parts to a language but also the culture, if theyre actually going to be assisting in military information support operations. And I know that Secretary Austin, and his team are working on that effort right now. Were going to recruit and retain a very diverse force with cultural and language expertise. We have less forces deployed than we did in 2018 2019, or 2020. General Clarke: Its important first to talk about how coordinating authority is supposed to be executed and what a coordinating authority even is. The future of UAS leads to another technologyAI [artificial intelligence] and machine-learning. JFQ, National Defense University There have been times when its just more convenient or easier to say, Lets get SOF to do it. We have to stick with our core missions. He earned the money being a professional General Officer. MT: Will SOF return to doing the kinds of things the 10th Special Forces Group did back in Europe during the Cold War? He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from West Point and a Master of Business Administration from Benedictine College. JFQ: Special operations are so heavily dependent on the quality of the people who carry out these missions. During the 30-minute interview in his office at SOCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, Clarke talked about the state of the special operators in the ranks op-tempo, the. Theres no room with the Nationals. I think were coming out of that period now. Its a great example of how information operations are going to remain critical going forwardas you look at integrated deterrence and deterring our adversaries. And if were able to do that, and not allow potential competitors a free pass that they can just put out whatever they want that may not be truthful that we can compete in that space, I think that is critical. And we know for a fact that the capability for terrorists to use chemical agents is there. When Gen. Richard D. Clarke retires this month as head of U.S. Special Operations Command, he will depart with a chest of hard-earned combat medals but also with the recognition, now. This Is Richard Douglas Clarke. In fact I encourage those who think they need to to do so. Foreign internal defense. Terrorists have used sarin and mustard gas in Syria and Iraq. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and was commissioned into the Infantry in 1984. Our J5 and our JSOU president are closely linked for that thought process and for the development of the future SOF force. And do you think there should be specific benchmarks as the GAO and some reports have suggested? But I also want space to view SOF as an enabler to space in the future. and to direct spending, what has been your experience with Congress in advocating how you train and equip your force? That fact will remain inviolable. You must continue to read and develop. Clarke was born in . And 61 percent of those that were injured went back to their original military occupation. General Clarke: SOF truth number one: Humans are more important than hardware. Thats one example that is concerning. Thats gender and race. $1 . JFQ: How will the rise of the U.S. Space Force affect your command and special operations forces? February 6, 2023. From 20 years ago to today, weve seen a marginal increase, but what we need to do is continue to move the ball in the right direction and not try to overcorrect. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and was commissioned into the Infantry in 1984. . How are your units leveraging the diverse talents, skills, and backgrounds of your special operators and their partners while performing their missions? You conduct after-action reviews after every operation, but occasionally you have to take a pause and look at the force. They made tough calls, and they dealt with the results afterwards. And our leadership, our chaplains, our psyches, they rallied to make sure that those who were in need were reached out to and where we could have seen a spike in the last year, we actually decreased slightly. He is a distinguished graduate of the National War College earning a master's degree in Security and Strategic Studies. It takes place on the internet, but not always. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. RC: I put our suicide numbers as fairly steady to slightly decreasing. And you may know that, after the comprehensive review and the findings, and the recommendations were complete, we put a three star in charge with teams at all the components to continue to ensure that we make progress. "We had urgent needs then, and we'll have urgent needs in the future.". SOCOMs position is that we can operate in this gray zone and counter our adversaries. ", Read Next: Free Health Care for All Troops Is Key Priority, National Guard General Tells Congress. Richard D. Clarke's net worth He is from Germany. We dont have much information about Hes past relationship and any previous engaged. I just recently spoke to a large group of African American officers a couple months ago and I know for a fact because Ive witnessed it, and and some have expressed with me that some African American officers were discouraging junior cadets, ROTC, West Point, from coming into infantry or combat arms, because they wouldnt be accepted. MT: And where are you with those efforts? In Iraq, we continue to support multinational pressure on pockets of ISIS leaders and fighters while building the capacity of our partners in the Iraqi Security Forces. RC: Secretary Esper and I personally spoke about speeding it up. As a force highly dependent on what the Space Force provides, what opportunities do you see for your command to assist in how the Space Force evolves? Right now. A lot of people think about SOCOM as just the military component. We can fight in the war around the edges without having to be directly involved. And the ability to influence because of that access and placement of ours is critical. And we need to build access and placement to reach locations that small teams can accessbut with a joint capability that can help solve those problems. How do you see global security challenges affecting the ability of special operations forces. The wire that connected that IED or the remote device is now harder to defeat. Were born out of this. We take the sexual harassment and sexual assault issues very, very serious. RC: I put a couple of points upfront on the comprehensive review. It helps when we have diversity, when were out and about and global, to have people that reflect the best of America when were doing that. He agreed with the need for that speed of relevance and truthful message but I think an important part of this, as I spoke about earlier, is it also needs to be coordinated within a broader interagency and particularly with our Department of State. You don't have to wear a uniform to serve the nation. and Patriotism without politics. are trademarked by Spirit of America. 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. Prior to assuming command of USSOCOM, General Clarke served as Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Executive Moves, News. I think this will be a great lesson as we look at potential conflict zones around the worldto be there before they start. He assumed his current assignment on March 29, 2019. But I would tell you, our leadership dove on that, realizing that they have to maintain contact, whether it was a phone call, or zoom or Facebook. to perform these missions and your ability to stay ready and modernize? That is important. Dont punish people for it. We always have to be very cognizant of that. Special operations forces board Greek CH-47 Chinook during ORION 21. Prior to leading USSOCOM . RC: Congress asked for it and its still due in the spring some time. And so weve got to bring the right people. 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. And so our focus has been on ensuring that our employment model and who was forward deployed, and what command elements were forward deployed we took a hard look at. But every Service and every combatant command is critical to helping address CWMD, CVEO, and Internet-based MISOor WebOps. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. We must invest in those people by continuing to train and educate those innovative problem-solvers. Clarke was born in West Germany and raised in an Army family. RC: I think it changed for the good. A lot of stuff could happen. Its an ongoing effort right now. For the first time in our history, were going to have two near-peer nuclear threats. Do you see areas where the Services and National Guard might better leverage what special operators bring to the joint force? So how do we move our SOF personnel while maintaining the element of surprise, particularly when an adversary is looking? He previously served as Director of Operations, Joint Special Operations Command on Operation Neptune Spear. He is a distinguished graduate of the National War College. Because JSOU is on the SOCOM campus, it is deeply integrated with the staff. Eight years in the 75th Ranger Regiment first as a company commander, then as a battalion commander, and finally as the regimental commander. We expect them to seek advantage through asymmetric means. Senior Pentagon officials know there were dozens, maybe hundreds more. How does your command describe these challenges and plan to account for them? MT: Where is SOCOM with the problem of suicide in the ranks? Navy SEALs and Iraqi troops look at a young Islamic State fighter prosecutors say was murdered by Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward Eddie Gallagher. He also served as battalion commander of 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division from 2002 to 2004. They all know the information space is important. Placement. "So the threats have evolved significantly in the years in between [the bin Laden and al-Baghadi] operations.". He is not dating anyone. General Clarke was born in Germany and raised in an Army family. 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. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is passionate about education, innovation, emerging technology, and building high-performing organizations. Richard D. Clarke is a Commander for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command with three videos in the C-SPAN Video Library; the first appearance was a 2016 News Conference as a Major General for . His most recent assignments include serving as the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. "I don't necessarily see this as the end of an era but, instead, as part of a new one that is full of opportunities for all of us. Frequently asked questions about our work in Ukraine. General 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. As I told Secretary [Mark] Esper as we were discussing operations in space, I said that Id recommend we dont talk about in space, but we talk about this for space. Incoming 82nd Airborne Division Commanding General Brig. Fighting disinformation will affect all forces in all missions, he said. General Clarke: Space is a critical domain. Local news, weather, sports, events, restaurants and more, The U.S. militarys overdue reckoning with civilian casualties. They have to live with themselves the rest of their lives. 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. General Richard Rich Clarke retired from the military after nearly four decades of leading complex and diverse organizations at every level to include over 15 years internationally and with over 10 combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. General Clarke: We as a force are more integrated, credible, and capable than ever before and that really stems from the steadfast support of Congress. How will your command leverage this evolving professional military education capability to your advantage? Many conflict zones are not traditional ones and labeling these situations has become a popular industry with names such as. Congress directed its standup at the same time for that oversight aspect. RC: I dont think its germane or specific to the SOF community. If so, how and why? For the most part, they dont assess it to be a problem. And then, second, we looked hard at our professional military education, and our professional military assessments of our leaders. Because we have great allies and partners that we work with, thats providing us influence, and so thats our asymmetric advantage. MT: Over your long career, the attitude towards those issues has changed. One is the barrier to entry. If you read the history of how SOCOM was created, the Services did not want to give up their own individual special operations forces that had been created. Were working with allies and partners. Do you anticipate a QRF in the CENTCOM region for Afghanistan if something goes wrong? In August of 2022, General Clarke retired as the Commander of United States Special Operations Command after nearly four decades of service with the United States Army. For too long, the Pentagon rejected reports of civilian deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria as false claims or enemy propaganda. The National War College gave me some ideas and gave me some frameworks to help look at problems into the future. And honestly, I do believe that if left unchecked, extremists would love to recruit and to bring people from the SOF community because of who we are into their groups. RC: Thanks for the question. According to our Database, He has no children. How important is it in understanding an adversary to know their social media? That exposure for me to all elements of our national command and infrastructure as well as our international partners was invaluable. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week announced a new plan for civilian harm mitigation, to avoid disasters such as the August 2021 strike in Kabul that was meant to kill an Islamic State terrorist but instead struck a van carrying an innocent nongovernmental organization worker and seven children. But what the visit to Walter Reed highlighted for me is were going to have to continue to monitor or force those who have been wounded, or may have illness or injury from the combat zones and continue to take care of. Gen. Richard D. Clarke and his wife Suzanne sit with their children Madeleine and Will . RC: I dont because I go back to the standards base. Congress established SOCOM in 1987. So I wouldnt put it just to the CENTCOM area of operations. As I discussed earlier, this was born from Operation Eagle Claw in 1980. We realized the importance of space and the need to continue to work very closely with SPACECOM [U.S. Space Command] and the Space Force to provide those capabilities for the joint, all-domain warfighting aspect. I believe that over 99 percent of the time, our Special Operations Forces did the right thing, Clarke told me. You have to pass the Green Berets Special Forces assessment selection before youre going to become a Green Beret. Clarke spent eight years in the 75th Ranger Regiment as a company commander from 1994 to 1996, then as a battalion commander from 2004 to 2006 and regimental commander from 2007 to 2009. I think we can all agree that terrorism and violent extremism arent going away. Im sincere. Humans are fallible. The stresses were aggravated, he said, because SOFs capabilities were highly valued. I got a lot of good questions about that. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. How will the rise of the U.S. Space Force affect your command and special operations forces? Thanks for that question. When we get congressional delegations into SOCOM headquartersand to all our subordinates and overseaswe welcome those visits. 77 talking about this. Senators [Sam] Nunn [D-GA] and [William] Cohen [R-ME] realized it, and they legislated it. The other thing that JSOU does in addition to teaching is they do detailed research looking deep into some of our most vexing problems. Have these changed since you took command in 2019? Prior to assuming command of USSOCOM, General Clarke served as Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. General Clarke's other assignments as a general officer include: the Deputy Continued Richard D. Clarkes income source is mostly from being a successful . Prior to his leadership of USSOCOM, he was director for strategic plans and policy at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Clarke, 56, is coming to . Where is SOCOM with that? RC: I have seen psychiatrists in the past, primarily for my assessments, and selections that Ive gone through with this. When Gen. Richard D. Clarke retires this month as head of U.S. Special Operations Command, he will depart with a chest of hard-earned combat medals but also with the recognition, now widely shared by his colleagues, that too many civilians died unnecessarily in Americas two decades of war in the Middle East. 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. What is the working relationship between your command and the Services that provide the capabilities you task? Then we only have to defeat them right of launch when were trying to shoot down the final UAS that could be coming at our forces. We will update Richard D. Clarkes Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. How does your command describe these challenges and plan to account for them? But because theyre partnered with us, it also ensures that we remain a partner of choice. Its giving our force time to build readiness, to modernize, and for that leadership to oversee their people. We have the culture and language capabilities and the understanding of what irregular warfare could be. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0b95f02bdcc35f There have been several instances that prove the Russians have used it against political adversaries of the Russian government outside their own soilin a U.S. Allys territory. What ways are you working to operate in such a world? What would you recommend to the faculty to consider when developing strategy related courses for future leaders like yourself? And through some of the Army programs. But were also with them right now in their countries training alongside them, looking at their resistance capabilities, and continuing to think about how they could, in fact, resist as nations. 6.03 PM. Clarke was appointed the 12th Commander of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) on March 29, 2019. And working at that speed of relevance where individuals hear something, and if its not true we want to make sure that the proper message is out. Right now, one of the most pressing threats is the UAS [unmanned aerial systems] threat. And we welcome anyone who wants to join our formation who is capable of meeting our standardsfrom all walks of life. Link To Fake Account. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from West Point and a Master of Business Administration from Benedictine College. And today, they still work in radio and print as its appropriate in the environment that they may be operating. MT: Talk about how to compete in the Information Operations space. This is fratricide inside our ranks when it takes place. Were seeing our adversaries really pick up their game in this areaagain starting in Iraq. Were not reducing or changing standards for any of our courses, to allow that to happen. This was born out of Operation Eagle Claw with the failed rescue attempt [of American hostages in Iran] that brought about our modern-day SOCOM. RC: (On the issue of sexual misconduct) Obviously, we are watching and are tied in closely with the SECDEF element that is taking place. Your IP: When I go visit formations which its been nice during COVID, to be able to do that of late. RC: Well leave it that I am encouraged, that we helped define that. RC: There will always be contingency plans for quick reaction forces that we maintain globally. Army Special Ops Command welcomes first female command sergeant major, Helicopters crashed in mountains, fair weather, Army says.