Michael J. Parke

Michael Joseph Parke was born in Las Vegas, NV on March 17th 1984. He enlisted in the Navy on December 15, 2004. He completed Hospital Corpsman School (Great Lakes, IL) and field medical service school (Camp Lejeune, NC) before getting attached with the 3rd Marine Logistics Group in Okinawa Japan on August 24, 2006. During his time with the Marines he finished all qualifications to earn his Fleet Marine Force Badge and was promoted to the NCO ranks as Petty Officer 3rd Class on May 13th. In February of 2007 he was awarded Most Outstanding Sailor from the Naval Trauma Training Center.  In June he was attached to the USS Peleliu for a humanitarian mission to the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, New Guinea and Micronesia working as a Surgical Tech/Assistant in the Operating Room.

After returning from deployment he was placed in Bravo Co, 3rd Medical Battalion and worked as the Training NCOIC and Fleet Marine Force Program Coordinator. Petty Officer 3rdClass Parke then volunteered for the yearly Marine training event in Thailand known as “Cobra Gold” with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. Petty Officer Parke was in charge of supplies and equipment for the FRSS (Field Resuscitative Surgical Suite) a mobile surgical hospital. He then spent his last year in the Navy at Balboa Naval Hospital San Diego before finishing his enlistment in 2010 and staying at the Naval Hospital as reserve status until 2012.

Michael Parke Graduated from National University of San Diego in August of 2013 and his officer package was accepted by the 355th CBRN Company in Las Vegas, NV in October of 2013. SPC Parke completed Army Basic Training from Ft. Sill as an Honor Graduate on June 30, 2014 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant from Officer Candidate School on Nov 3rd2014.

Second Lieutenant Parke graduated CBRN BOLC on May 23rd 2015 and went straight to Ft. Lewis, Washington to Attend L6 CBRN Stryker Reconnaissance training to assume the role of Platoon Leader for 1st Platoon, 355th CBRN Co. He was promoted to First Lieutenant on May 3, 2016. He successfully led a convoy with the Strykers from Las Vegas, NV to Ft. Irwin, CA to complete gunnery tables and qualify a whole platoon on the strykers’ remote weapon system. In preparation for deployment he completed both Unit Movement Officer Course and Department of Transportation Hazardous Material Certifier course.

First Lieutenant Parke deployed to Kuwait as a Stryker Platoon Leader in October of 2016. While deployed, the platoon validated for both reconnaissance and decontamination missions and once again completed gunnery tables one through six at the Udairi Range in February of 2017. Through March and April of 2017, First Lieutenant Parke led a combined platoon of Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard assets in Operation Eagle Resolve: ajoint exercise of simulated CBRN missions throughout Kuwait with Allied Nations. He earned the Army Commendation Medal and returned from deployment on July 24, 2017 to San Diego, CA to his loving wife, Mariah Parke, and newborn son, Ronan Parke.

Awards
Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal, 2, Posthumous Navy Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon
Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/M Device Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, 3