The United States Naval Academy fired the commandant of midshipmen, Capt. Gilbert Clark Jr., on Monday due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to effectively lead” the brigade, removing him than his position less than half a year after he assumed the post.
Clark, who assumed the role in June, was axed by Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte.
“The naval service maintains the highest standards for leaders and holds them accountable when those standards are not met,” the Naval Academy said Monday.
For now, Clark will be succeeded by Capt. Austin Jackson, currently a deputy commandant of midshipmen, as an interim commandant.
The school did not provide further details about the reason for the dismissal. The U.S. Navy commonly references “loss of confidence” when firing senior leaders.
Clark’s firing marks another shake-up in the senior leadership at the school, based in Annapolis, Md., this year. Clark assumed his post in June after Capt. Walter H. Allman, a former Navy SEAL, departed.
Borgschulte, the superintendent, began his position in August after Navy Vice. Adm. Yvette M. Davids, the first woman to serve as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, was reassigned in July by the Pentagon.
Superintendents are typically in the role for three years, but that stint could be shorter. Davids was the school’s superintendent since early 2024.
Since assuming the top role at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has overseen the shake-up of top military leaders, including removing Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr. The Trump administration has fired chief of naval operations Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, who was the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. President Trump also axed Adm. Linda Fagan, the first female U.S. Coast Guard commandant.
