Capt. Kasandra A. Clark was raised in Peachtree City, Georgia. She spent most of her childhood competing as a level 10 Junior Olympic gymnast and was a track and field state champion. She attended The United States Military Academy where she competed all four years as a long jump and pole vault specialist, breaking the Academy’s longstanding indoor and outdoor pole vault record seven times. Her senior year she was named captain of the track and field team and qualified to compete in the World Military Games in Brazil. Clark received a bachelor’s in psychology and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2011.
Following graduation from USMA, she attended follow on training for her branch of choice, aviation. She moved to Fort Rucker, Alabama to attend the United States Army Flight School, which consisted of the Basic Officer Leader Course; Survival, Evasion Resistance and Escape School; the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course; and Flight School XXI Advanced Airframe Course for the UH-60 A/L.
Her first assignment was to the 159 Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as a flight company platoon leader in Alpha Company, 7-101 General Support Aviation Battalion. While stationed at Fort Campbell she became involved with functional fitness and CrossFit. In 2014, she deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan as a platoon leader where she attained pilot-in-command status in the UH-60L and coached regularly at the CrossFit gym located on the Forward Operating Base. Shortly after redeployment, she transitioned to a maintenance company platoon leader in Delta Company, 7-101 GSAB. In 2015, she assessed and was accepted as one of the first females into The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. After graduation from Captains Career Course in 2016, she completed Green Platoon and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th SOAR at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia where she served as a Charlie Company assault platoon leader and executive officer. While with 160th, she deployed to multiple countries, flew over 1,000 hours and attained pilot in command status in the MH-60M.
Clark is a master fitness trainer, U.S.A. Weightlifting, CrossFit Gymnastics, and CrossFit Level 2 certified and has coached at the local CrossFit Gym at every duty station she has lived in.
Her awards and decorations include the Air Medal with “C” device, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Army Aviator’s Badge, Parachute Badge, and the Air Assault qualification badge.