Captain Rob Clapper selected as a recipient of the national General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award

The award, now in its 18th year, is jointly sponsored by the U.S. Army and the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation.  It is given annually to company grade officers in the active Army, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard who exhibit extraordinary leadership abilities and embody the ideals embraced by General MacArthur: duty, honor, country. A panel of U.S. Army Officers makes the selections from more than 35,000 eligible candidates.

Clapper and the other recipients will accept their awards - bronze busts of Gen. MacArthur - from Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, chief of staff of the Army, and the Hon. Francis J. Harvey, secretary of the Army, during a ceremony at the Pentagon courtyard on May 25.  The Washington visit will also include a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns at the Arlington National Cemetery.

"I'm humbled to have even been nominated for such a prestigious award," Clapper said.  "To be selected for the award is, I think, a great tribute to the outstanding soldiers with whom I've served during my career and to the unconditional support I've received from my family."

A native of Indianapolis, Ind., Clapper graduated from The Citadel and has been stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., Fort Benning, Ga., Fort Jackson, S.C., Fort Richardson, Alaska, and Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga.  His overseas assignments included Jordan, Egypt, Australia, Thailand, Afghanistan, and Iraq.  Clapper's active duty assignments concluded with three years in Army Special Operations.

He began his career in the Army Reserve in May 2003, as company commander for a support unity.  Last July he was selected to serve as aide-de-camp to Maj. Gen. Charles McCartney, commanding general of the 108th Division headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.

Clapper began his work with the Scottish Highlander Battalion at Presbyterian College in 2003, marking his third stint with ROTC during his career.  He previously served as a cadet and as an ROTC national camp evaluator, making the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award even more meaningful to him.

"The award references the famous 1962 speech General MacArthur gave to the class at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.  He was addressing a class of future second lieutenants, which is very fitting because that's also my true passion today, developing the leadership skills for our future servant leaders," Clapper said.  "It makes this honor very personal and special."

Clapper also serves as the assistant women's soccer coach at PC.  He is a member of the Clinton Rotary Club, a committee member at First Presbyterian Church, Clinton, a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, and a Laurens County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador.  He previously served as a chapter president of the Association of the United States Army.

He resides in Clinton with his wife, Kerriann, and children Alexis, Trey, and Olivia.