ITTA BENNA (Miss.) – The Air Force Reserve’s mission is to provide combat ready forces to fly, fight and win.
Tchula Native Michael Clark is shining example of what an Airman Reservist should be.
Since being selected as “Airman of the Year” for the 307th Security Forces Squadron in Bossier City, Staff Sgt. Michael Clark has kept his aim high. He can’t talk much about his recent deployment in the Middle East, but says ready to answer that call again if needed.

Michael says, “My job is security forces. We do base security and sort of that nature and policing and sort of that nature.”

He’s also earned some impressive *new* hardware for his mantelpiece.

Sgt. Clark says, “My fraternity awarded me with Colonel Charles Young Award of the year. Basically, Colonel Charles Young, he was the second honorary member of our chapter and he was the first black man to graduate from the Army at West Point.”

He’s hoping also earn regional and maybe even national accolades from Omega Psi Phi.

In the meantime, Sgt. Michael Clark has become even more of the a fixture on the campus of Mississippi Valley State University.

Sgt. Clark lays it out, “I’m in student affairs. I’m a hall director as well as I am a chairman of the judicial board and I serve on the student conduct board with the assistant vice president of student affairs.”

And why not? Sgt. Clark holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting and Master’s degrees in Sports Administration and Criminal Justice. Did we mention he played ball for the legendary Lafayette Stribling?

Sgt. Clark remembers, “All together, I have 4 SWAC championships. Two as a player, and I have two as coach.”

So has he managed to attract so much success?

Sgt. Clark says, “That all goes back to the (Air Force) core values: Integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do. Challenge myself to be the best airman I can be. The best citizen I can be and the best fraternity brother I can be.”

And for that, we salute Staff Sgt. Michael Clark.


Sgt. Clark plans to spend 20 years in the reserves. He’s already been in for 7.

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