Captain Gilbert Clark Removed After Turbulent Semester and Leadership Concerns

On 24 November 2025, Captain Gilbert E. Clark Jr. was removed from his post as Commandant of Midshipmen at the US Naval Academy after Superintendent Lieutenant General Michael Borgschulte concluded that he no longer trusted Clark’s ability to lead the Brigade of Midshipmen. The dismissal came less than six months after Clark assumed the role and marked the Academy’s third major leadership change in under half a year.

Alcohol-Related Incidents and a Loss of Confidence

The Academy did not cite misconduct and instead used the Navy’s standard phrasing indicating a loss of confidence in Clark’s leadership. However, several midshipmen recounted numerous alcohol-related incidents involving the respected captain in private communications. Clark became the 91st Commandant in June 2025, taking responsibility for the daily conduct, professional development, and military training of roughly 4,400 midshipmen.

A Difficult Semester and Rising Public Scrutiny

His removal followed a turbulent fall semester, which included intense public attention after a September incident in which a false active-shooter alert on campus resulted in a midshipman being shot by naval security forces. During the crisis, Captain Clark sent a widely circulated campus-wide email. Although the Navy did not directly link that episode to his dismissal, it stood out as one of the most significant leadership challenges of his brief tenure.

A Long Naval Career Before the Commandant Role

A 1998 graduate of the US Naval Academy and a former water polo player, Gilbert Clark earned his qualification as a surface warfare officer and served aboard several ships, including the USS Denver, USS George Washington, and USS Klakring. He later rose to executive officer and then commanding officer of the destroyer DDG-68 The Sullivans, participating in operations in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. His shore assignments included work as a security officer, operational and strategic planner at NAVCENT and CENTCOM, a staff assistant within Navy leadership, and command of an afloat training group in the Western Pacific. Before becoming Commandant, he led the Navy’s “Southwest” surface group.

The last time a senior leader at the US Naval Academy was removed occurred in 2003, when Superintendent Rear Admiral Richard Naughton was relieved after a misconduct investigation.