Retired Army General Richard D. Clarke, who served as the 12th Commander of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and understands the power of adaptive sports, has joined the board of directors of Move United. The national organization offers more than 70 adaptive sports to 120,000 youth and adults with disabilities through a network of more than 200 member organizations in 45 states.
Prior to assuming command of USSOCOM, Clarke served as Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff at the Pentagon. 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.
Clarke’s deployments 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.
“Our organization’s history is intertwined with those that have served our country,” said Glenn Merry, Move United’s executive director. “Our roots were planted when soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division would take wounded veterans skiing in the late 1960s. Not only did General Clarke serve as a General Officer in that unit, but as the previous SOCOM commander, he understands the value that adaptive sports has provided our wounded warfighters through his direct involvement in the Warrior Games.”
