Richard D. Clarke

Clarke and Joseph Dunford (left), at Clarke's promotion to general on March 29, 2019.

Clarke was born in West Germany and raised in an Army family. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and commissioned into the Infantry Branch in 1984. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from West Point and a Master of Business Administration from Benedictine College. He is a distinguished graduate of the National War College and earned a master's degree in Security and Strategic Studies.

Clarke, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (center), and CENTCOM commander Gen Frank McKenzie visit the WebOPS building at MacDill Air Force Base on June 18, 2019.

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. 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. He also served as battalion commander of 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division from 2002 to 2004. His most recent assignments include serving as the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. from 2017 to 2019. 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.

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.[3]

Clarke was appointed the 12th Commander of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) on March 29, 2019.

Clarke retired from the military and relinquished his command of USSOCOM to Bryan P. Fenton on August 30, 2022.[4] Clarke was elected to the board of defense contractor General Dynamics on February 3, 2023.[5]

Social media accounts pretending to be General Clarke have been used in deceptive scams claiming that he is trapped in Iraq that have resulted in people being defrauded of money. A woman in Minnesota fell for the deception twice and lost a total of $82,000 in December 2021 and in February 2022.[6]