 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.