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BIOGRAPHIE DU LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GEOFF PARKER

2nd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment

www.forces.gc.ca/2RCR/

http://www.army.dnd.ca/2rcr/html/co_bio_e.html

LCol G.S. Parker, C.D.,

Commanding Officer 2nd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment

Lieutenant-Colonel Geoff Parker joined the Canadian Forces under the auspices of the Regular Officer Training Program in 1989 while attending the University of Western Ontario (UW). Upon graduation in 1990, he completed his Infantry Officer training and was posted to the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR) in 1991 (London Ontario). He moved with the Battalion to Petawawa in 1992 and deployed on Op HARMONY Rotation 5 as a Platoon Commander. While with 1 RCR, Lieutenant-Colonel Parker commanded a M113 rifle platoon, AVGP rifle platoon and a dismounted rifle platoon.

In 1995 he was posted to Belleville Ontario in support of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment as part of 3rd Battalion during its time as a "10/90 Battalion" and was posted back to Petawawa in 1996 with the return of 3 RCR to full regular status. While with 3 RCR, Lieutenant-Colonel Parker performed the duties of Adjutant and Company Second-In-Command and deployed on Op PALLADIUM Rotation 3. While with 3 RCR he also completed both the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff Courses.

In 2000, Lieutenant-Colonel Parker was promoted to Major and posted back to 1 RCR as Officer Commanding B Company for two years and oversaw its conversion from the AVGP Company to a LAV III Company. Subsequently, he commanded Administration Company for a year and participated in the 2003 Brigade Training Event.

In 2003 Lieutenant-Colonel Parker was posted to Toronto to attend the Canadian Forces College and upon its completion, returned to Petawawa as the G3 of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (2 CMBG). During his time as the G3, 2 CMBG force generated three Afghanistan Rotations, including Task Force 03-06/1 RCR Battle Group, participated in the inaugural Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre serial and deployed the Disaster Assistance Response Team twice. Promoted to his current rank in 2006, Lieutenant-Colonel Parker spent the past year as the Chief of Staff of 2 CMBG.

Lieutenant-Colonel Parker holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science from UWO, a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master Degree in Defence Studies from the Royal Military College.

Lieutenant-Colonel Parker is married to M.J. Parker and they have two children: Charlie, who is 8; and Alexandria, who is 6. They are all extremely pleased to be posted to Gagetown and are looking forward to being able to travel through the Maritime Provinces.

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HISTORY OF THE BATTALION 2ND BATTALION, THE ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT

http://www.army.dnd.ca/2rcr/html/about_e.html

(2 RCR) is a mechanizied infantry battalion that is under the command of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (2CMBG) and administered by Land Force Atlantic Area. Gregg Barracks, named for Victoria Cross winner Milton F. Gregg, is home to 2 RCR at CFB Gagetown. The name and location of the Barracks embody 2 RCR's strong historical link to the Fredericton area.

The Royal Canadian Regiment has been closely associated with the Fredericton area since its formation as the Infantry School Corps in 1883.

A portion of the original garrison can still be seen at Officer's Square in Fredericton which was the original home of A Company. In 1889, 2nd (Special Service) Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment was raised for service in the South African War. This marked the first time a unit of the Canadian Army served outside Canada.

During both World Wars the Regiment fought in the European theatre. Among the 54 battle honours earned by members of the Regiment are Ypres, the Somme Valley, Ortona and Apeldoorn. In 1945, following the end of the war in Europe, a second battalion was created for service with the Canadian Army Pacific Force. This Battalion was mobilized and formed at Kingston, Ontario. In 1951, 2 RCR was raised again; this time for service with the Canadian Army Special Force in Korea. After the Battalion's return to Canada in 1952, it was sent to Soest, West Germany as part of Canada's NATO Commitment. From that year until 1970, the unit divided its time between Soest and London, Ontario.

In 1970, 2 RCR was relocated to its present home in Gregg Barracks as part of a force reduction process that saw elements of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, The Black Watch (RHC) dissolved and absorbed into 2 RCR. The most visible symbol of that connection is the 2 RCR Pipes and Drums, which in April 2000 celebrated its 30th anniversary with a successful release of a musical CD.

Though 2 RCR is a unit of the Regular Force allocated to Land Force Atlantic Area, it also maintains an operational unit within 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at Petawawa. Today 2 RCR is a mechanized infantry Battalion that is equipped with the Canadian Forces new LAV III Armoured Personnel Carrier. The Battalion comprises three Rifle Companies, one Combat Support Company (a Battalion Headquarters element), and one Combat Service Support Company. As the only Regular Force infantry battalion stationed in Atlantic Canada, its soldiers are frequently called upon to perform duties in support of regional operations including: assistance to federal penitentiaries, searches for lost persons, and ceremonial duties and guards of honour. Also, much effort is devoted to supporting other CFB Gagetown units and the Reserve infantry units of Land Force Atlantic Area, and the Army Cadet movement.

The historical links between The Royal Canadian Regiment and Atlantic Canada have resulted in the traditional honour the Freedom of the City being granted by several local communities. These include the Cities of Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Charlottetown, Halifax, and St. John's. These associations are further highlighted in the Battalion's Company crests. Each contains an emblem drawn from the coat of arms of a major city of the Atlantic Provinces.

In recent years, training and operational activities have seen soldiers of 2 RCR deployed to such varied locations as Cyprus, Bosnia, Cambodia, Croatia, Macedonia, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Haiti, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Canadian Arctic, and throughout the Maritimes. The soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment have met the challenge of soldiering in the 1990s and will continue to serve Canada at home and abroad in the new millennium.