If you accept the morality of going to war, the task then becomes to win at the least loss to your own side. –Richard Whittle

Retired Colonel James G. “Snake” Clark is, and always will be, a United States Air Force legend.  He is widely known as the “Godfather” of the Predator, an unmanned aerial assault vehicle that forever changed military combat.  But his contributions to supporting soldiers in combat stretches far beyond that.  Snake breathed creativity and innovation back into the military-industrial complex.  He overhauled the outdated imagery and mapping services to bring near-real-time satellite information directly to the front lines.  He cut through bureaucracy and wasn’t afraid to create his own rules as the chief “fixer” in the Air Force.  There simply was no stopping Snake Clark from his relentless mission to aid and assist the warfighter.  And if he had to break a little glass along the way, so be it!

“I wasn’t always the most popular.  Half the people loved me.  Half the people hated me. But I didn’t care.  The half that hated me were bureaucratic weenies!”

Snake didn’t care about the bureaucrats because that was NOT where he was focused.  He simply had no time for them.  Snake was driven to serve the greater good of the military. He was driven to save lives.  He was driven by one singular mantra that permeated his every action.

“The person in the greatest harm’s way is where you have to focus. Always.”

Amen, Snake.

 

A Military Man

Growing up as an only child in the suburbs of Northern, New Jersey, James Clark learned the power of independence.  And his Catholic education at Essex Catholic, and later at the Catholic University of America, reinforced his dedication to his country and his faith.   His days at CUA proved to be particularly transformative.  He entered the ROTC Program and developed increasing respect and love for military life, eventually becoming the President of his Class. But perhaps more importantly, it was during these years that he earned his infamous nickname.

“When your name is ‘Snake’, it opens a lot of doors and takes on a personality of its own.  It only added to my renegade reputation.” 

And Snake leveraged every bit of that angle to aid the warfighter.

“It was kinda like being ‘Cher’.  I was just ‘Snake’.  And that allowed me to get things done!” 

In 1973, through the CUA ROTC Program, Snake was commissioned into the United States Air Force.

Snake Clark rose up through the ranks of the Air Force and spent various stints at Air Force bases in Florida, Texas, England, and South Korea.  He was no non-sense, brash, and outspoken, which allowed him to bypass bureaucracy and cut through the politics.

In 1982, Snake was assigned to Ramstein Air Base in Germany where he worked for Major General (later, General) Bill Kirk and Colonel Moody Suter.  General Kirk wanted Colonel Suter to examine how the US would prepare to fight in Europe using real-world scenarios.  It was a massive vision.  And Colonel Suter was just the man to make this happen.  But they had no money, space, or people to get it done.  He needed someone who could bypass traditional systems.  He needed someone who could break glass and beg, borrow and steal to corral funds and resources to help the warfighter.  He needed Snake.

Under Colonel Moody’s leadership, Snake and a handful of Air Force innovators established the Warrior Preparation Center (WPC) in 1983.  Little did they know the impact this Center would have on preparing our troops for battle.  Today the WPC is the premier training facility for our forces around the world.

“I am forever in honor to Colonel Suter, he truly was one of the great visionaries of the U. S. Air Force.”

Snake rose up through the ranks, constantly furthering causes for the warfighter, eventually reaching Lieutenant Colonel.  But he could rise no higher.  By 1995, there were no more mountains to climb and Snake planned for his retirement.  But then something happened that changed the trajectory of his life forever.

At the time, Snake was reunited with Colonel Suter in the Pentagon.  He told the Colonel about his plans to retire.  Colonel Suter smiled, and knew exactly what to do.  He immediately reached out to General Ronald Fogelman.

General Ronald Fogelman, the Air Force Chief of Staff, was in the process of wrestling control of the Predator Program away from the Army.  General Fogelman needed a right-hand man with vision, innovation, and guts.  He needed someone who wasn’t afraid to “break a little glass” in order to get things done.  Was there any better man for the job?

“A week after announcing my plans to retire, General Fogelman sent me a short, handwritten note: ‘I was very pleased to see your name on the Colonel’s list.  I need warriors like you in our Air Force!’  How do you say no to that?”

You don’t.  Retirement plans canceled.  On October 31, 1996, James “Snake” Clark was promoted to full Colonel!  Snake was ready to break some glass for the Air Force once again!

At the time, nobody wanted to touch the Predator.  But Snake sensed the potential strategic impact of this weapon system and he had the full backing of General Fogelman.  The General trusted him completely and once famously quipped: Snake, you’re too stupid to lie to me!” And with that backing, a legend was born.

 

The Transformational Power of the Predator

Abraham Karem is the father of modern drone technology.  After emigrating from Israel in the 1970s, he manufactured his first drone, Amber, which eventually evolved into the famous Predator drone.  He was a man ahead of his time.  But innovation did not typically come quickly to the military.  Why?

“It is a risk-averse structure where too many people have access to the original requirement.  Things can get lost in translation in a bureaucracy.” 

But after years of getting “lost in translation”, the Predator drone was ready to spread its wings.

It is important to remember that the Predator was still considered a “new technology” in 1996.   Some people found it interesting but most weren’t sure how to exploit it. But Snake immediately recognized the power this could have for waging war and the benefit to the warfighter.  It just needed to be fast-tracked and implemented. It just needed someone who could innovate quickly and get it to the front lines.

“The warfighter would rather have something 70 percent done and deployed to the field quickly, than wait months or even years for the 100 percent solution.  A lot of lives will be lost waiting for 100 percent.”

Snake Clark teamed with a highly secretive Air Force division based in Dayton, Ohio known as Big Safari.  The Big Safari Team specialized in modifying standard Air Force aircraft for time-sensitive and highly classified operations.  They understood the importance of innovating rapidly and bypassing bureaucracy.  They were the perfect partner for Snake Clark and the Predator mission!

The Big Safari Team innovated and iterated and eventually equipped the Predator with sophisticated commercial satellite receivers and a state-of-the-art imagery processing capability while allowing for easy remote control.  Soon Predator was flying missions over war-torn regions around the world.  And the best was yet to come.

“We were making great progress, but the stakes just kept getting higher.  If we failed, we were curtains.”

They didn’t realize at the time how high the stakes were about to get.

In September of 2000, Osama Bin Laden was identified as a chief target for the US military.  And the revamped Predator drone was the perfect instrument to help track him down.

Acting on some intelligence uncovered by the CIA, the Air Force-led Predator flew to Tarnak Farms, a walled compound near the Kandahar airport where Bin Laden was thought to be living. Sure enough, the sophisticated cameras of the Predator caught Bin Laden emerging from the compound.  But there was one problem.  The Predator was a surveillance and intelligence-gathering vehicle only.

“It was frustrating.  But I knew right then what we needed to do.”

  Time for that 100 percent solution!

“Sometimes you have to look inside yourself.  ‘Where is your heart?  What is your motivation?’  There can be no ambiguity.  We needed to arm these things!”

Snake knew the hard decisions they would need to make and Big Safari was the perfect team.  There was no time for bureaucracy.  They tested the resiliency of the Predator and determined it could only withstand 175 pounds of extra weight before the wings snapped off.  They retrofitted the aircraft with Hellfire missiles and tweaked the design until it reached the minimum threshold. What would normally take years, took months.  Now the Predator had teeth. Armed with Hellfire missiles on each wing, the Predator morphed from strictly surveillance and intelligence into an offensive weapon.  And not a moment too soon.

On September 11, 2001, almost a year to the day after the Predator spotted Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, the deadly attacks on New York City and Washington, DC (and subsequent tragedy over Shanksville, PA) unfolded like a horror movie in slow motion.  But the military’s response, thanks in part to men like Snake, was anything but slow.  That evening, three Predators landed at Andrews Air Force Base, and by the evening of September 16th, the Predators were flying over Afghanistan. It was time to break some glass.

The impact of the innovative Predator development cannot be overstated.  This technology ignited a drone revolution that has changed the way we wage war, altered the military, altered the CIA, and saved untold thousands of American lives.  The US military now owns more than 8,000 drones and, once an afterthought, they have become an integral part of the military-industrial complex.

“We weren’t out to change the nature of warfare.  We were just relentlessly focused on the American soldier.  We just wanted to go to bed each night and say ‘We did some good today.’’”

Mission accomplished, Snake!

 

A Legacy Beyond the Predator

While “Godfather of the Predator” will always be his legacy, Snake Clark offered so much more to the military over the course of his illustrious career.  Notably, he is widely credited with revolutionizing the maps, imagery and digital capabilities extended to the men and women on the front lines. And that alone saved countless more lives in the process.

“Reliable real-time data saves lives.  Especially in battle.  Nothing is more critical.”

Snake invented the world’s first deployable commercial imagery downlink system, EagleVision, which is still in use today.  Over the course of the last twenty years, FEMA has leveraged this technology to aid and assist in recovery after hurricanes and other natural disasters.  Again, accurate data saves lives.

But the legacy of Snake does not just reside in the data or the machines he helped create, but in hearts of the men he served.  And the stories never end.  Snake used his gift for cutting through red tape and breaking glass to load up duffel bags full of GPS units to ship directly to the front lines. When Snake heard that troops in Afghanistan were using their boots as pillows and coats as blankets, he requisitioned a C-130 supply plane and loaded up pillows, blankets, and other provisions from a private supplier.  Snake was not one to wait for the “system” to aid the troops.

“Influence and power can be seductive, but you can’t abuse it.  You have to find the sweet spot and leverage that influence to take care of people and get stuff done. Whatever it takes.” 

Snake believed in taking care of the people above him and below him.  This created trust and an endless circle of goodwill.  If Snake was in your corner, you were always protected.  And this built incredible loyalty throughout his sphere of influence.

“When you take care of people, they take care of you.”

Even today, the stories of the men he helped and the lives he changed live on. One officer under his command, long since retired, put his current priorities this way:

“God first.  Then my wife. Then my kids. Then Snake.”

Another officer succinctly captured his essence:

“For Snake, it was all about helping those in the ‘zipper suits’, those going into battle.  That’s all he cared about.”

Still another retired officer recalls the story of the day his own life changed forever. He was an Airman (lower rank) at the time and went into his boss, Captain Bryan Denson, and told him his plan to retire.   He wanted to move back to his hometown and become a police officer.  With the help of Captain Denson, Snake caught wind of this decision and acted immediately.  3-Star General William Begert was soon visiting the young Airman and imploring him to stay in the military and reach his potential.  The young Airman had one condition:

“I want to work with Snake.” 

The General made one phone call to the Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force base, seeking assistance with the Airman’s request.  The rest is history.  The young Airman blossomed under Snake, rose to the level of Major, and separated with a full pension from the Air Force.  It was a small act, but it was so powerful.  A life forever changed.

“You can’t help everyone, but the key is to find the person you think will do great things with the opportunity.”

And so you did, Snake.

Focus on the Warfighter

After so much conviction and single-minded focus, and so much subsequent success, it is hard to imagine that Snake was ever discouraged.

“Of course! I had plenty of bad days.  There were times when I was bludgeoned and beaten down by the bureaucracy.  Anyone who tells you they never struggled is lying.”

But there are so many stories to help him overcome those bad days.  Stories of soldiers sleeping more soundly on the front lines with a pillow and blanket.  Stories of the Predator rescuing trapped warfighters and eliminating the threat.  Stories of young Airmen changing the trajectory of their life.  Stories of saving the lives of those in the greatest harm’s way.

His success didn’t come without struggle. There were times when Snake colored outside the lines and ruffled a few feathers in the process.  Breaking glass can cause collateral damage.  But he did it all for the warrior.  And because of that, he was able to continue his fight.

“My success was due in no small part to the dynamic and courageous leaders in the Air Force who took a chance on a brash young captain and always had my back.”

And that is what it is all about.  When you take care of people, they take care of you. 

Today, one of the three Predators originally deployed on 9/11 hangs in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center.   Inside the cockpit is the signature of the man who helped pioneer the greatest tactical weapon in modern military history.  Colonel James “Snake” Clark made it happen.  And he wasn’t afraid to break a little glass to keep our warfighters out of harm’s way.

 

What Does It Mean for Us

Snake Clark retired as a Colonel from the Air Force and then spent 19 years as a Senior Executive in the US Federal Government.  And, after reflecting on his career, Snake put it all in perspective.

“At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, ‘If what I am doing ends up on the front page of the New York Times, am I okay with it?’  I was okay with everything I did, inside and outside the lines. It was always about arming and protecting the warfighter.”  

What do Snake Clark’s career and legacy mean for us?

How many of us are single-mindedly focus on our mission?

How many of us struggle against a bureaucracy to keep our ideas alive?

How many of us are not afraid to break glass in the name of what we hold true?

How many of us understand the power of accelerating other people’s careers?

How many of us leverage our influence to help people and get stuff done?

And so it is with all of us.  It will not always an easy journey.  There will be barriers placed in our path.  There will be seemingly insurmountable challenges posed from all sides.  We will be beaten down at various times.  But we have to maintain our conviction.  We have to stay maniacally focused on our mission.  We have to stay resilient in the face of adversity.  Nothing worth fighting for is easy.

Thank you, Snake, for showing us the way!