Victorville Daily Press A new leader is at the helm of Fort Irwin’s residential hub, where roughly 21,000 U.S. military personnel and family members live alongside the Army’s National Training Center and a NASA space-communication complex. Col. Jason A. Clarke took over on Friday as garrison commander at Fort Irwin in a change-of-command ceremony that bid celebratory farewell to his predecessor, Col. Jeanette A. Martin. The role of garrison commander is similar to that of a city’s mayor, Fort Irwin spokesperson Abe Dawoud told the Daily Press. The role changes hands every two years. Clarke was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1998, according to a biography provided at the ceremony. He went on to serve as a platoon leader in the 95th Military Police Battalion before transitioning to Special Forces. He has served in a number of military roles and deployed for operations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere.