Photo By Kayla Herrera | Tim Clark, left, poses with Kurt Statts, Test Resource & PMSR Programs T&E Branch...... read more read more
Tim Clark never planned for it to happen this way.
More than two decades into his career as a flight test engineer, Clark found himself at the pinnacle of his profession. He was guiding the Navy's Tomahawk cruise missile program through critical milestones. Then, everything changed with two devastating blows: He lost the best job he ever had and almost lost his life.
In early 2009, the Base Realignment and Closure action redirected the Tomahawk Test Team's realignment to China Lake. Clark's beloved work would no longer be at Point Mugu. While forming a team for the transition, he suffered a ruptured aneurysm and a stroke. By November 2009, Clark had a 10% chance of survival. Clark was fighting for his career and his life.
So, what kept Clark fighting? A one-of-a-kind conviction: He had more to give. More to prove. But more than anything—he wanted to deliver for the warfighter.
As a flight test engineer for the Point Mugu Sea Range, Clark is now celebrating 35 years of federal service. Along his journey, he faced doubts about his academic abilities, overcame life-threatening health issues, and even took a pay cut to stay true to his values.
"It doesn't seem like 35 years, but it's flown by. It's been quite a ride," Clark reflected. "So many opportunities and different things I've been able to do. It's been a lot of fun."
Clark, a Phoenix native, chose aerospace engineering at Arizona State University because of his passion for aviation and because it "sounded interesting." During his sophomore year, a counselor bluntly told him he wasn't cut out for the field. But he refused to quit. He retook demanding courses like thermodynamics, worked 25 to 30 hours a week in retail, and drove himself to succeed.
"My parents instilled in me a work ethic that if you want something, you need to go work for it," Clark emphasized. "No one is going to hand it to you. I've never feared hard work."
Graduation came in December 1988 without a job offer. Disappointment? Absolutely.
Not one to give up, Clark returned to campus the following spring for another shot at a recruiting fair. This time, he sat down with Pacific Missile Test Center recruiters. The weeks dragged by silently, with no sign of progress until a letter finally arrived. This lifeless, letter-sized envelope held inside it a vibrant, promising future. It was March 1989, and this unassuming piece of mail would change his life forever.
Clark started at PMTC on June 18, 1989, a date that would later take on special meaning because it was also the birthday of his future wife, Rhonda.
From the beginning, Clark carved out a niche in flight testing. His first Engineer and Scientist Development Program rotation introduced him to the attack weapons world and the Norwegian Penguin Missile. From there, he began working with the HARM and Harpoon missiles. By 1992, Clark became the lead flight test engineer on the highly classified Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile program.
Then, in June 1994, Clark's dream took flight when he entered the prestigious U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.
As a civilian with no military background, it was rare to attend USNTPS. He flew in 24 different types of aircraft, logging 250 flight hours. The child in him who loved aviation enjoyed every moment. The skills he learned would prove invaluable in future tests and evaluations.
Eventually, Clark parlayed his Test Pilot School credits into a master's degree in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee in 2002.
Clark described pilot school as the "cherry on top" of his career.
In June 1995, Clark returned from Test Pilot School. He discovered that the cancellation of the TSSAM program eliminated his previous role. But Clark didn't miss a beat and joined the Tomahawk team that August.
For eight years, Clark worked on Tomahawk in various roles.
The team tested the weapon on new platforms and pushed it toward groundbreaking milestones. They achieved the first launches from SSBN-converted Ohio-class submarines—rapidly firing a Tomahawk salvo launch from a single SSBN platform. They integrated the missile with British Royal Navy submarines, enabling the U.K.'s fleet to operate Tomahawk effectively.
By 2001, Tomahawk was fully operational for the Royal Navy, demonstrating the international influence and reliability of a weapon that Clark helped shape.
Then, in December 2003, Clark became the lead test engineer on Tomahawk.
"It was the best job I ever had, leading that team," Clark said. "I'm most proud of the Tomahawk work we did through the years and how it's continuing to pay off in the weapon system as it continues to develop."
Clark remarked that the program manager once called Tomahawk "the nation's weapon of choice" for high-risk situations, highlighting its reliability and importance.
The enduring relevance of his work is evident—just last week, the Royal Australian Navy conducted its first successful Tomahawk test at the PMSR, making Australia only the third nation to demonstrate such a long-range cruise missile capability. What started as a U.S. effort had grown into a cornerstone of allied naval strategy—validating the effort Clark and his team poured into Tomahawk.
Throughout the mid-to-late 2000s, Clark was at the top of his game, leading "the best and the brightest" engineers—unaware that fate had far more challenging tests in store.
In early 2009, BRAC's decisions forced Tomahawk testing to relocate to China Lake. In November 2009, as he tried to assemble a China Lake test team, Clark suffered a ruptured aneurysm and stroke. The complications piled up. The physician's grim 10% survival estimate didn't deter him. Just as he had overcome academic doubts years before, Clark fought to prove he could survive and return to work.
Despite a year of recovery spent relearning basic tasks and adapting to his non-dominant hand, a disheartening realization marked his return to work: he couldn't perform as he once had.
From 2011 to 2013, Clark worked with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 30, focusing on unmanned systems and the Joint Mission Planning System. He also worked on the GQM-163A Coyote and other key Targets Division projects.
When the Coyote program moved elsewhere, Clark settled into a role as a flight test engineer in 2013, assisting PMSR commercial and Air Force customers, helping them craft test plans and secure approvals.
Clark faced an internal conflict: his high-grade position, carried over from his Tomahawk days, no longer matched his responsibilities at Point Mugu. In 2015, he made the tough decision to voluntarily take a demotion, aligning his pay with his actual duties. Though it bruised his ego, it brought relief and let him pursue honest, meaningful work at the right level.
Clark faced adversity head-on and found strength in one simple truth: "It is what it is."
He didn't let himself get bogged down by regrets or things he couldn't change. He focused on what he could still achieve. Above all, he's grateful to his wife. The two met in 1996 after Test Pilot School. Her loyalty was a steady source of strength as he faced setbacks.
"My wife has stood by my side, and we've gotten through it," Clark said. "She's my biggest supporter and advocate."
Clark's proudest achievements are his 27-year marriage to Rhonda and his daughter, Haley, who is now 26.
"God had a plan for me," Clark noted, referencing both his June 18 start date and his wife's birthday.
In the years since his stroke and the departure of Tomahawk testing, Clark has found meaning in smaller victories. He continues to add value by assisting with PMSR customer test plans. His efforts ensure the facility remains critical to the nation's research and development. While the work may not carry the prestige of overseeing Tomahawk's evolution, it's honest, valuable, mission-critical work.
When asked about looking ahead to 2025, Clark focused on family—like his daughter Haley's upcoming wedding in June.
Clark's path was never a straight line but a series of unpredictable climbs and daring turns, filled with ups and downs, smiles and frowns.
Several awards recognized his excellence along the way. He received the VX-30 Test Engineer of the Year award in 2003 and the Dr. Manuel Garcia Memorial Award in 2010 for his superior leadership and service in test and evaluation. Many team awards and personal letters of commendation also acknowledge his achievements.
Two powerful mementos in his modest cubicle tell his story: a plaque with President Ronald Reagan's inspiring words, "It can be done," and a recent newspaper article celebrating Arizona State's remarkable Big 12 title win and College Football Playoff spot—a long shot of just 0.7% only seven weeks earlier. These symbols reflect his own courageous path.
Life threw Clark some tough challenges, but he always found a way to stay in the game.
"I've been able to roll with the punches," Clark said. "BRAC taking Tomahawk away was a huge gut punch. The medical issues I went through were a pretty massive gut punch. I wanted to overcome those and continue to do good work that I enjoy, which adds value to our mission here at NAWCWD."
| Date Taken: | 12.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2024 11:17 |
| Story ID: | 487798 |
| Location: | POINT MUGU NAWC, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | PHOENIX, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 238 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, They Gave Him a 10% Chance to Live. Now He's Celebrating 35 Years of Service, by Tim Gantner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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