After nearly five decades of public service – 24 in military uniform and the last 19 with U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) – Michael Clark has announced it is time to “power down.”
Clark, a longtime leader at USCYBERCOM and a career intelligence professional, announced Tuesday that he will retire this year, concluding a 48-year career in national defense. A retirement ceremony is scheduled for September 15 at Fort Meade.
“[At] 69, I’ve decided it’s time to upgrade to Version 2.0 of life: more time with my family, fewer classified briefings,” Clark wrote in a LinkedIn post.
Clark currently serves as deputy director for Plans and Policy at USCYBERCOM, where for nearly 19 years he has led the command’s efforts in cyberspace operations policy, interagency coordination, strategic planning, and capability development supporting USCYBERCOM’s mission since its inception in 2010.
“I’ve had the great privilege of being a part of this Command’s growth driving its future vision,” Clark wrote. “It’s been an honor to help lead this incredible team of professionals who defend our nation in ways most people will never fully understand – and that’s probably for the best.”
Before joining USCYBERCOM, Clark held other key roles in cyber operations and intelligence including the Joint Functional Component Command Network Warfare in 2006 as deputy director for operations, Before that, he worked at Syracuse Research Corporation, supporting cyberspace enabling technologies and defense intelligence programs.
Clark retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2001 after 24 years of service, which included assignments supporting high-value intelligence collection platforms and briefing senior Air Force leadership at the Pentagon. He also managed key information warfare programs during his active-duty years.
“For now, just know that while I may be retiring, I’m not disappearing. I’ll still be around (probably in Hawaiian shirts), cheering you on from the other side of the firewall,” Clark said.