Spring break for Manteca Unified Deputy Superintendent Clark Burke meant military reserve training in South Korea. He was actually gone for two weeks which included the one week that used to be called Easter break.
A veteran of the Iraq war, Burke was in South Korea in his latest training as a reservist working with the United States and Republic of Korea (ROK) as well as with the U.S. Army, Navy and ROK Army. All military reservists undergo military training on a regular basis.
“Training requirements can vary due to mission or exercise requirements,” Burke explained, for a span of 12 to 30 days on average, once or twice a year.
“In addition to short deployments, I work to maintain readiness through monthly training requirements or consolidate my monthly requirements into extended drill weekends,” he added.
He is a company grade as well as a field grade officer.
As a company grade officer, he has commanded three different companies – the 481st Heavy Board, the 711th Seaport Operations, and the 201st Harbor masters.
As afield grade officer, he has been a terminal battalion Operations Officer for the 483rd Trans BN, a professor of Military Science for the University of California at Davis and the Sacramento State Forged Gold BN, as well as a Brigade Transportation officer for the 599th SDDC.
A military reservist since his mid-20s, Burke has traveled throughout the world doing, among others, humanitarian missions in Guatemala, environmental missions in Washington, Congressional missions in Alaska, Combat missions to the Middle East, strategic operation missions in the Pacific, and training missions throughout the United States.
He was part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Iraq War where he was deployed from December 2003 to April 2005. He was working as a teacher at that time. He joined the Army Reserves for the same reason he became a teacher, he said in an earlier interview with the Manteca Bulleetin – “to give back to my community and my country.
“Both careers gave me an opportunity to give other people the same opportunities I was fortunate to have. I have been lucky to work in two noble professions each with dedicated and selfless public servants.”
Like any active member of the Army Reserves, he could be called upon any time for deployment to any part of the world.
“The Army Reserves is a calling of service and a commitment to the country. I see it as an opportunity to give back just some of the many blessings I have received in my life,” said Burke.
He is currently attached to the active duty 599th Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Brigade out of Wheeler Airfield in Wahiawa, Hawaii, as an individual Mobilized Augmentee.
To contact Rose Albano Risso, email ralbanorisso@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3536.
