U.S. Naval Academy Commandant of Midshipmen relieved of duty 6 months after starting
U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) Commandant of Midshipmen Captain Gilbert Clark Jr. was relieved of duty Monday after leaders said they lost confidence in his ability to effectively lead.
The change in leadership comes nearly six months after Capt. Clark took the role of 91st Commandant, replacing Capt. Walter Allman III.
"The naval service maintains the highest standard for leaders and holds them accountable when those standards are not met," USNA officials said in a statement.
Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen, Capt. Austin Jackson will serve as interim Commandant, officials said.
The Commandant handles the military training, professional development and day-to-day conduct of nearly 4,400 midshipmen.
Capt. Gilbert Clark Jr.
Capt. Clark graduated from the academy in 1998, then graduated from the Naval War College with a Master's in National Security and Strategic Studies.
He previously served as a weapons officer, reactor electrical divisions officer, engineer officer, and commander of a squadron, according to the academy. He also served as a security officer for a Naval Weapons Station in South Carolina and lead strategic planner for the U.S. Central Command.
Before becoming Commandant, Capt. Clark served as the first commander of the Naval Surface Group Southwest.
Clark became Commandant in June after Capt. Allman was chosen for a promotion, USNA leaders said.
Changes in USNA leadership
This is not the first time that the U.S. Naval Academy has undergone leadership changes this year.
In August, the academy's first female superintendent, Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, was reassigned and replaced by Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte.
Vice. Adm. Davids assumed the role in January 2024, and in July 2025, she moved to the Pentagon to serve as deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans, Strategy and Warfighting Development, according to the academy.
During a change of command ceremony in August, Lt. Gen. Borgschulte became the first Marine Corps officer to be superintendent.