James W. Parker

Brigadier General James W. Parker enlisted in the Army in 1970. After completing Airborne and Special Forces training, he was assigned to Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha-742, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 1974 he was promoted to Staff Sergeant. In 1975, Brigadier General Parker graduated from Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia. Commissioned as an Infantry Officer, he was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii and served as rifle platoon leader, scout platoon leader and company executive officer. | In 1978, Brigadier General Parker was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Carson, Colorado, where he performed duties as assistant S-3, company commander, and battalion maintenance officer with 1st Battalion, 10th Infantry. Transferred to Fort Devens, Massechusetts, in 1981, he served a three year assignment working with Army National Guard and Army Reserve units as an infantry and Special Forces advisor with Readiness Group-Devens. In 1984, he was assigned to 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Lewis, Washington, where he served as company executive officer, battalion operations officer, and battalion executive officer and participated in numerous deployments in the Pacific region. In 1987, he graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia and studied Spanish at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. | Brigadier General Parker arrived in El Salvador in 1988, where he served a one year combat tour as the USAdvisor to the El Salvadoran 4th Infantry Brigade. He returned to the United States to work as the Latin American desk officer in the J-3 (Operations) Directorate of U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He returned to Fort Bragg in 1991 where he commanded the Africa-oriented, 1st Battalion, 3d Special Forces Group (Airborne) until 1993. He then served as the G-3 and later, Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne). | Brigadier General Parker graduated from the Army War College in 1995 and once again returned to Fort Bragg and the Southern Command area of operations as he commanded the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) from July 1995 to July 1997. From August 1997 to May 1998 he served as the Deputy Commanding General for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. | Brigadier General Parker has a BBA from Fort Lauderdale University and a MA from Webster University. | His awards and decorations include: Legion of Merit w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster; Bronze Star w/V device; Defense Meritorious Service Medal w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster; Army Meritorious Service Medal w/4 Oak Leaf Clusters; Army Commendation Medal w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Master Parachutist Badge; Military Free-Fall Badge; Combat Infantryman Badge; Special Forces Tab; and Ranger Tab.