An African American man was nominated for the first time to lead the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
The Air Force announced Thursday that President Trump nominated Lt. Gen. Richard Clark to be the school’s next superintendent.
Clark brings more than 34 years of commitment to service and leadership.
Clark is currently the deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration at the Pentagon.
He is expected to take command in August if the Senate confirms the nomination, becoming the second Black general to head up a service academy, officials said.
Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams became the first African American superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 2018.
“I am extremely humbled and honored by the nomination to serve as the superintendent of the Air Force Academy,” Clark said.
Clark graduated from the Academy in 1986.
He previously served as the school’s commandant of cadets, was a junior varsity football coach and candidate counselor.
“I have no doubt that Lt. Gen. Clark will be an extraordinary leader for the Academy,” Silveria said. “He has a long history with USAFA and an exceptional leadership record.”
The diverseness of the military and recent events have reminded Airmen of the challenges that are still facing the Air Force.
During a seminar two weeks ago, Clark encouraged Airmen within the 548 ISRG to create environments that facilitate understanding each other.
“It doesn’t matter what race or religion you are, we can’t take these problems on as individuals,” said Clark. “It has to be a consolidated effort.”
Clark told Airmen that the only way to find solutions to the problems we as an Air Force face today is together.
“I think that we can have these discussions without bringing politics into it,” Clark said when asked about the military’s stance on having political conversations in the workplace. “This is not about politics, it’s about how we treat each other.”
He added, “We have a long way to go but we need to lead the fight.”
Clark will replace Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria.