OUR SUP. WEARS MORE THAN A SUIT by The Community Outreach Team Our Superintendent, Dr. Clark Burke, is an actively serving military officer. When he is not dressed in slacks and a tie with colored fun socks, he is called away to wear his uniform to serve as Lieutenant Colonel Burke of the United States Army. Burke’s progression into the military was slightly unconventional. Typically, the decision for a person to enlist takes place directly after high school graduation. In Burke’s case, he opted to enlist and become an officer after already having earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. He has served as Lieutenant Colonel for over two decades. “I wanted to give back and be in service in more ways than one. Not only for my local community, but for my nation,” shared Burke. Burke’s position in the U.S. Army
centers around logistics. He is currently based in Hawaii and works for an SDDC, which is a Surface Distribution Deployment Command. Burke described that their overall objective is to oversee military movement in the Pacific Theater including such places as Japan, Korea, and Australia to name a few. Our Superintendent just returned from an assignment in Korea. As part of a larger team, Dr. Burke maintains political and military relationships and logistics. The Lt. Colonel serves as a battle captain in a multi-national joint forces command cell. These joint forces are made up of branches of all U.S. military and branches of Republic of Korea military. “We run 24 hr. operations. The cell exercises operational plans and works with various government agencies to investigate operations of
the deployment, redeployment, and distribution of logistical ships and vessels from the seaport,” explained Burke. “We look at current conditions within the country, establish procedures and build relations with partnering countries. Our operational planning includes responding to national emergencies. For example, coordination of vessels and equipment for NEO operations (noncombatant evacuation operations), which is how to get civilians off the peninsula or aid humanitarian efforts if something bad were to happen.” Burke is an expert in the field of service. He explained that, he does not see his service to our schools and his service to the military, as mutually exclusive. It is about helping, supporting, defending, and protecting people.
