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Retiring ANG director, Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke, looks ahead

by Phillip Swarts Since March 2013, Clarke has served tion was being done by computer alone. be the last step before retirement for an
Air Force Times staff writer as ANG director, but he’s had lots of “The computers can be a time-saving active component Airman.
previous experience with the Guard, in-
It was 2003, and then-Col. Stanley cluding serving as the deputy director device in the sense that they can quickly “The system is kind of built to back
Clarke was standing in the middle of the from May 2007 to June 2008, and as the calculate or simulate data,” Clarke said. people out rather than allowing them to
desert with orders to set up a base. assistant adjutant general for air in the But human instructors have “the abil- back down or to ramp back up in what
Alabama Air National Guard from De- ity to actually teach en masse and let they do on behalf of the Air Force,”
“I’ve been asked before what my fa- cember 2005 to June 2006. people learn — and just as important to Clarke said.
vorite platform is in the Air Force, and I me is that the instructor gets feedback
tell people it’s the 10K forklift,” he said. The emphasis on people, though, is as well — we think it makes the infor- Dedicated members
“I had to build a base in the desert at one thing Clarke said he has always pri- mation more effective that we’re trying The members of theAir National Guard
the kickoff of Iraqi Freedom, and I no- oritized during his time in the military, to teach but we also think, know rather, are kept constantly busy, the general said.
ticed that none of the parts and pieces and its advice he would pass on to the that it gives more time back to the air- When not deployed overseas, the Airmen
of a normal wing … are as obvious as next director. men themselves.” are home focused on air defense, security,
when nothing’s there and you’ve got to firefighting, search and rescue, emergency
start from scratch. You’ve got to be able “I always tell people I didn’t learn Integrating the Guard response, and training.
to build the base, and then you’ve got anything while I was talking,” he said. Focusing on the people that make up “You could return from a deployment
to build it so it’s robust enough to go “Do a lot of listening and consult with the Guard is also an area Clarke says the from Afghanistan and the next day you
through 24-hour operations for multiple those that would be helpful to you in next director should try to build upon. have some kind of crisis in the home-
days, day after day.” forming opinions, shaping policy, di- “We never fully developed every- land and you could be out there support-
recting resources. … You just find those thing that supports moving from a stra- ing that,” he said.
But above all, there was an important people and bounce ideas off of them, tegic reserve to an operational force,” he That dedication to both national and
lesson to keep in mind. have conversations. Dialogue a lot but said. “All of the things like status, bene- local missions is something that’s al-
certainly listen to what people are tell- fits, pay, all of that is still trying to catch ways made Clarke proud.
“You’ve got to recognize that the ing you and then make the best decision up to how operational we’ve become in “The organization showed up ready to
people pull it all together,” he said. “It’s that you can based on the information today’s environment.” operate on day one because we all wear
things beyond just air power. It’s a lot to you have.” Likewise, Clarke said he wants to see the same patch that says United States
do with equipment, and it has to do a heck an easier transition between the active Air Force across the top of our pocket,”
of a lot more with the people involved.” Improved training and Reserve so Airmen can move be- he said. “That means a lot to the people
Putting people back into ancillary tween the different components over the in the organization who are participat-
Now-Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke, the training for the Guard is one change course of their careers, something other ing in something overseas … knowing
director of the Air National Guard, is Clarke said he’s proud of during his time Air Force leaders have called for as well. back home there are people performing
planning to retire after nearly 35 years as director. “I think the relationship between the significant missions at the same time
in the service. His last official day will “The time spent trying to get ancil- regular Air Force, Air National Guard that are also in Air National Guard.”
be March 1, but between leave and tran- lary training is hard for any airmen, but and Air Force Reserve is at a very high “When we were asked to do the most
sition time, his last day in office will especially those in the reserve compo- level. I’m proud of that,” Clarke said. stressful thing, the hardest mission, we
likely be in early January. nent because you have limited time,” But changes need to be made so that showed up ready to play,” he said.
Clarke said. moving to the Guard isn’t expected to
“I’m looking forward to still being an One concern was that too much instruc-
advocate for airmen and air power,” he
told Air Force Times. “I’ll have that op-
portunity to do it in a different capacity.”

U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Dennis Sloan

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crew members arrive at the Boeing plant Sept. 12, 2013, at Long Beach, Calif.
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include Gen. Paul Selva, Air Mobility Command commander, Lt. Gen. James
Jackson, Air Force Reserve commander, and Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke, Air
National Guard director. This historical event comes more than 20 years after
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C-17 to enter the Air Force inventory June 14, 1993 and marks the successful
completion of C-17 production for the U.S. Air Force.