New CO For USS Phil Sea

Parker reported to Philippine Sea having most recently served as Deputy, Enlisted Assignments and Community Management and as Head, Surface Enlisted Assignments, each while assigned to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Millington, Tenn.

Parker was commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 1982. Afloat, he has served tours aboard USS Austin (LPD 4), USS Scott (DDG 995) and USS Mobile Bay (CG 53). Parker also served as executive officer in USS Gettysburg (CG 64), prior to reporting to Singapore to assume command in USS Kinkaid (DD 965). Parker relinquished command of Kinkaid in December 2002 during the decommissioning process.

Ashore, Parker has served as the Training Program Coordinator for GS/EN ratings at the Chief of Naval Technical Training at NAS Memphis. He was assigned with the United States Strategic Command, serving in the fixed and mobile command centers as a Warning Controller, Nuclear Planning and Execution System Manager and SIOP Advisor to CINCSTRAT. He has also served as a Program Requirements Officer at OPNAV Theater Air Warfare for Navy TBMD programs, Sea Based National Missile Defense and Ariel Targets.

Parker possesses a Master's degree in Operations Management and is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College.

Under Moran's command, Philippine Sea garnered many operational and material achievements. On his watch, Philippine Sea successfully completed a short-notice surge deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism and successfully completed a Congressionally mandated Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) review. Philippine Sea was recognized for the material condition of the ship and having attained the highest levels of combat readiness.

Within days of assuming command in March 2005, Moran received official notice that Philippine Sea would deploy in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Moran's direction and organizational leadership prepared the ship to deploy on just two months' notice. As the first full implementation of the Fleet Response Plan, Philippine Sea masterfully served as the Surface Strike Group Commander for a previously untested mix of ships and developed a meaningful force package that became the model of a new Expeditionary Action Group.

While on GWOT Surge '05 in the Fifth Fleet Area of Responsibility, Moran guided Philippine Sea through numerous operations. After transiting the Suez Canal and Red Sea, Philippine Sea was immediately assigned by Commander, Task Force 150 to lead Coalition Pulse operations in the Gulfs of Aden and Oman. A highlight of these operations was the successful covert surveillance of a suspected hijacked merchant vessel off the coast of Somalia, while remaining undetected throughout the operation. Furthermore, Philippine Sea's performance in extensive Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) served to detect, deter, disrupt, and deny international terrorist organizations the use of the maritime environment in the waters of Fifth Fleet.

Additionally, Philippine Sea led two successful bilateral Passing Exercises with the Royal Saudi Naval Forces East and West Fleets, which focused on the cooperation, coordination, and interoperability of coalition naval forces. The larger of these exercises, Operational Nautical Union, was a nine-day exercise in the Persian Gulf, which included participation by Commander, Destroyer Squadron 50, USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44), and five Saudi Arabian ships. Philippine Sea also operated extensively with Pakistani, German, and French naval forces while in theater.

Prior to return to homeport, Philippine Sea diligently prepared for the ship's largest material readiness challenge: the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) review in February 2006. The crew's adherence to an INSURV level standard well in advance of the inspection improved the appearance and material condition of the ship with a time-tested steady strain approach.

Philippine Sea's INSURV success, highlighted by an unprecedented 80 percent satisfactory grade in damage control readiness and an uncommon 100 percent score in the ASW demonstration, saw the ship scoring above average in nearly every inspected category. Such accomplishments set a new standard in the Fleet for the Ticonderoga class cruiser.

Moran's leadership of a highly motivated crew quickly returned Philippine Sea to an operational ready ship as they prepared the ship for deployment with the Iwo Jima ESG. Philippine Sea's initial responsibility was to serve as the MIO Commander and Launch Area Controller within the ESG. However, during pre-deployment exercises in April 2006, Philippine Sea was named the Surface Warfare Commander (SUWC) and Screen Commander for the ESG. Such flexibility to serve in diverse challenging capacities, which was recognized as a key element to the ESG's success, has become a hallmark of Philippine Sea.

Moran departs Philippine Sea enroute to Washington, D.C. His next tour of duty will be as the Director, Navy Senate Liaison in the Office of Legislative Affairs.