Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark speaks on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks during a ceremony at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Sept. 11, 2021. (Marc Loi/U.S Army)
President Joe Biden has nominated a lieutenant general with a history of command in the region to become the next leader of U.S. Army Pacific.
Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark, Austin’s senior military assistant, would take over at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, when Gen. Charles Flynn’s tenure ends there. Flynn took command on June 4, 2021, from Gen. Paul LaCamera, who now leads U.S. Forces Korea.
Clark, who would also pick up a fourth star, must be confirmed by the Senate.
Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark speaks on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks during a ceremony at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Sept. 11, 2021. (Marc Loi/U.S. Army)
A 1988 West Point graduate, Clark began his career in Germany as a rifle platoon and scout platoon leader for 5th Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Division. He served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, according to his Army biography.
After the first conflict with Iraq, Clark led an infantry company with the 25th Infantry Division (Light) at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
From there, Clark’s resume shows a steady climb up the command ladder: battalion commander in the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom; deputy director of strategy, plans and policy in the Pentagon; deputy commanding general-support for the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq during Operation Inherent Resolve, the fight against Islamic State; then a stint with NATO as deputy chief of staff for operations for the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
Then it was back to Hawaii as chief of staff for U.S. Army Pacific, commander of the 25th ID and senior commander for U.S. Army Hawaii, followed by chief of staff for Indo-Pacific Command.
Afterward, Clark led U.S. Army Central, the Army component in Central Command, before moving to Austin’s office at the Pentagon.
In the latter role, Clark was one of only a handful of aides aware of Austin’s hospitalization in January before the White House was notified after three days.
