james parkin

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JAMES PARKIN

RANK: COMMANDER JOINED: 1997 SPECIALISATION: WARFARE PREVIOUS UNITS: HMS RANGER, SOMERSET, MANCHESTER Military experience James Parkin joined the Royal Navy immediately after university, graduating from BRNC Dartmouth in April 1999. After training appointments in various MCMVs and frigates, and professional training at HMS Dryad, his first complement appointment was the Navigating Officer of HMS Berkeley in January 2000. Following Initial Staff training, and Fighter Controller course, he was appointed to HMS Manchester as FC1 in late 2001, a job that also included an attachment to Horse Guards as the RN liaison officer and watch officer for Operation FRESCO, the national firefighters’ strike. Leaving HMS Manchester in 2003, Parkin took up the role of OiC of Sussex URNU and Commanding Officer of the unit’s associated patrol vessel, HMS Ranger. After promotion to Lieutenant Commander, he next proceeded to Principal Warfare Officer course in 2006, from which he was awarded the Commodore’s Warfare Prize for the top student of the year, and subsequently conducted an 18 month appointment as PWO and Operations Officer of HMS Somerset. For his second PWO tour, Parkin joined the Maritime Battlestaff in October 2008 as SOO to COMUKTG, during which time he helped set up the EU Anti-Piracy HQ for Operation Atalanta, served as the maritime desk officer in Multinational Force-Iraq HQ in Baghdad, and deployed on numerous amphibious, joint and maritime exercises. Selected for promotion in May 2010, Commander Parkin proceeded on Advanced Command and Staff Course at JSCSC Shrivenham, where he finished as the highest placed Royal Navy student, and was awarded the Curtiss Prize for Campaigning. Subsequently, he acted as the Chief of Staff of the Navy Command Review programme for 8 months, helping to design the manpower, processes and organisational structures for the Royal Navy of the next 10 years. He assumed Command of HMS Montrose in July 2012.