Sir Nick Parker | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) General Sir Nick Parker in 2013 | |
| Born | 13 October 1954 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1973–2013 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Land Forces International Security Assistance Force UK Contingent, Afghanistan Regional Forces HQ Northern Ireland 2nd Division 20th Armoured Brigade 2nd Battalion Royal Green Jackets |
| Battles / wars | Sierra Leone Civil War Iraq War Operation Banner War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Mentioned in Despatches Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) NATO Meritorious Service Medal |
General Sir Nicholas Ralph Parker, KCB, CBE, DL (born 13 October 1954)[1] is a former British Army officer who served as Commander Land Forces (formerly Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces) until December 2012.
As a general officer, Parker served in Northern Ireland as well as in Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan and in staff roles including governor of Edinburgh Castle, commandant of the Joint Services Command and Staff College and Commander of Regional Forces, a role that also gave him the duties of inspector-general of the Territorial Army. Between 2005 and 2006, Parker served as deputy commanding general of Multi-National Force – Iraq, before appointment to General Officer Commanding, Northern Ireland, in which role he had the responsibility of overseeing the withdrawal of troops from the streets of Northern Ireland for the first time in over thirty years.
While on holiday in 2009, Parker and his wife received news that their son, Harry, a captain with The Rifles, had been seriously wounded in Afghanistan. Harry lost both legs as a result of a roadside bomb attack while leading his patrol. Parker later gave interviews about the ordeal the family went through with Harry's injuries, calling the experience "foul". Later the same year, Parker himself deployed to Afghanistan on a twelve-month tour, becoming the commander of the British forces in the country and deputy commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), second in command to American General Stanley A. McChrystal. In June 2010, McChrystal was relieved of his command of ISAF by President Barack Obama, leaving Parker as acting commander of ISAF for just over a week until General David Petraeus was confirmed as the new commander.