The U.S. Naval Academy relieved the commandant of midshipmen on Monday, five months after he assumed the position, the service academy announced.
Capt. Gilbert Clark Jr. was relieved from his role by academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to effectively lead the Brigade of Midshipmen,” the school said in a brief release.
“The naval service maintains the highest standards for leaders and holds them accountable when those standards are not met,” the service academy said.
The release did not provide further details of Clark’s dismissal. The Navy often uses the “loss of confidence” phrase when dismissing senior leadership.
Clark’s dismissal is the latest of several shakeups in the service academy’s leadership this year.
In July, Vice. Adm. Yvette M. Davids — the first woman to serve as the superintendent of the school — was nominated to become deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans, strategy and warfighting development, Navy Times previously reported.
Davis was replaced by Borgschulte, the first Marine Corps officer to serve as the service academy’s superintendent.
In his role as commandant, Clark oversaw the day-to-day conduct, military training and professional development of the service academy’s students.
Capt. Austin Jackson, deputy commandant of midshipmen, has assumed duties as the interim commandant, the service academy said.
Beth Sullivan is an editor for Military Times. Previously, she worked as a staff reporter for The Daily Memphian and as an assistant editor at The Austin Chronicle.
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