The man with the ‘stache

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Anita Stratton | Chief of Staff Maj. Sean Clark, with the Canadian Army, stands with Minister of National Defense Minhea Motoc and military officers at the opening ceremony of the Exercise Saber Guardian 2016 at the Romanian Land Forces Combat Training Center, Cincu, Romania July 27, 2016. Exercise Saber Guardian 2016 is a multinational military exercise involving approximately 2,800 military personnel from ten nations including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the U.S. The objectives of this exercise are to build multinational, regional and joint partnership capacity by enhancing military relationships, exchanging professional experiences, and improving interoperability between the land forces from the participating countries. The command post exercise trains commanders and staffs in the development of combined planning, standing operating procedures and staff battle drills in a force-on-force environment at the brigade level. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Anita VanderMolen, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Oregon Army National Guard)  

CINCU, ROMANIA

08.01.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Anita Stratton 

115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CINCU, Romania -- In a crowd of soldiers, one man stands out; it is the man with the moustache.
“His handlebar moustache is a great ice-breaker in the international stage,” said Saber Guardian Exercise Co-director U.S. Army-Europe (USAREUR) Col. Robert Bertrand.
Maj. Sean Clark, the Chief of Staff for Exercise Saber Guardian 2016, has made a lasting impression on those who come to know him. Embodying a professional yet friendly personality, Clark’s moustache initiates the first look. However, his personality, leadership, professionalism and, ultimately, his character leave the lasting impression.
“He knows how to come into a room,” said Tim Lemley, USAREUR Training Exercise Director. “It is quick and easy to connect with Sean.”
As chief of staff for Exercise Saber Guardian, Clark leads the support staff to make sure everything moves forward for the multinational military exercise. Clark accepted the responsibility as one more challenge to accomplish.
“I wanted [the assignment], went after it and grabbed it knowing full well the complexity of it and not knowing how it was going to work but understanding the overall impact will be at the end,” Clark said.
As a leader and mentor, his attitude dictates the atmosphere and attitudes of the people in the room.
“In my position, I acknowledge that people look to me. I have to set the tone,” said Clark. “I get frustrated like everybody else, but I deal with my frustration privately. I have to help my team achieve what they need to achieve. Maybe they came in with a bad start to their day, and me, coming in upbeat, positively affects them, changes their day and that makes it better.”
Clark’s friends refer to him as “Mr. Moustache” and describe him as ambitious, driven, focused and goal-oriented. He has served in the Canadian Military since joining the army in 1986 as a private. He rose through the enlisted ranks to Regimental Sergeant Major. He was given the opportunity for a commission and served as a company and a field commander.
In Canada, he is the multinational training integration lead planner with the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Center, Detachment Ottawa.
“Sean has led at an every level in his career from junior enlisted to senior enlisted; he was a company and field officer,” said Lemley. “He has excelled wherever he’s gone.”
Lemley first met Clark at a planning conference for Saber Guardian in November 2015.
“He was recommended by the initial planning conference (IPC) and was asked because of his experience,” Lemley said. “He is a very hard-working major who knows the exercise game in and out.”
For the past two years, Clark has been involved with multinational training as the chief of staff, first with Saber Guardian/Rapid Trident in Ukraine then Saber Guardian in Romania.
Bertrand said Clark has been instrumental in the multinational coalition through building partnerships.
Initial impressions are critical in Clark’s position. Working with people from different nations, cultures, experiences and languages while trying to accomplish a task means it is crucial to be able to connect and build relationships.
“Preconceived notions are dangerous when working in a multi-national environment,” said Clark. “You have to go in with a clean slate from the beginning and temper expectations, find something powerful to latch on to and build on, then move forward from there.”
Clark is able to balance his vivaciousness and feisty, spirited sense of humor with his patience, professionalism, and tact.
Bertrand added, “his candor and professionalism creates an environment commensurate to partnership building for esprit de corps.”
Clark uses his experience to help and encourage others to achieve their best.
Clark explains it is about being able to interact with one another, to be able to understand the reasons why people do things a certain way. He said he is at his best when he continues to empower people.
Interacting with, understanding, and empowering others is necessary for conducting such a large mission in order to achieve interoperability successfully in such an exercise as Saber Guardian.
“He does a very good job of drawing people out of their shells and acquiring whatever is needed from each player,” said Lemley. “Senior leaders look to him because he is experienced and capable.”
Clark’s motivations are success, cooperation, and partnership.
“It’s a melding of operating procedures and style. Here in Romania, working with our partners in a capacity-building standpoint is fantastic,” said Clark. “Interoperability is our ability to communicate and operate with one another and is critical in the face of what we are seeing with security in the region. This is one of the best ways we can show resolve with our partners and to do what we can to demonstrate the strength of the alliance.”
Clark’s signature moustache, ready smile, professional leadership and ultimately his strong character are reminiscent of the former U. S. President Teddy Roosevelt. He uses these qualities to build partnerships, create relationships and encourage others which, in turn, he also reaps the benefits.
“I believe I am at my best when I am helping somebody else to achieve their best,” he said. “It empowers me personally to be able to be out here and to work with people who look to me as a mentor and when I am able to do that it is win-win.”
After years of service, Clark mentors young soldiers by saying: “Don’t stop. Don’t quit. Keep driving forward. Whenever you think you want to get out, think back to the reason you joined. Don’t lose sight of your goals and ambitions.”
Managing a large multinational military training event such as Exercise Saber Guardian 2016, Clark discusses his motivation. “I go into this job, working in this environment, with this level of responsibility because the rewards are great.” He adds, “to achieve great things, you have to want to achieve great things. The opportunity is there: Fortune favors the bold.”

• Date Taken: 08.01.2016
• Date Posted: 08.03.2016 07:31
• Story ID: 205908
• Location: CINCU, RO
• Hometown: OTTAWA, ON, CA