Greg Parke (politician)
Encyclopedia
Gregory Tarl "Greg" Parke (born January 29, 1954 in Boston
, Massachusetts
) is a retired United States Air Force
Lieutenant Colonel
who was a Republican
candidate for U.S. Senate
in Vermont
.
, Enosburg Falls
, and Fair Haven, Vermont. He graduated high school from Sanborn Seminary
in Kingston, New Hampshire
and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science
Cum Laude from the University of New Hampshire
's Whittemore School of Business. While in college he was introduced to the writings of Austrian economist F.A. Hayek and Russian-American libertarian
writer Ayn Rand
, whose free market philosophies would later influence him in his political career.
Distinguished Graduate, Parke was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force
and was awarded the Presidential Saber.
He entered active duty attending Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base
in Columbus, Mississippi
. After earning his pilot's wings, Lt. Parke started his operational career in the T33 at Tyndall Interceptor Lead-In School in Panama City, Florida
. He then went on to Griffiss Air Force Base
in Rome, New York
as an air defense pilot in the F-106 Delta Dart. After two years he was selected for duty as an advisor to the Royal Saudi Air Force in Ta’if
, Saudi Arabia
, where he spent two years instructing Saudi pilots in the employment of the F-5 Tiger-II. Captain Parke was then assigned to America's front-line fighter, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and stationed at Torrejón Air Base
in Spain
for three years as a NATO nuclear strike pilot. Maj. Parke ended his tour there as Wing Chief of Training.
Just before the Gulf War
broke out, Major Parke was reassigned to the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs. As a Country Director he dealt with military issues relating to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He concluded his Pentagon tour as Executive Officer for the Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs. He was then promoted to Lt. Colonel and assigned to An Shas Air Base in Cairo
, Egypt
, where he commanded an advisory group assisting the Egyptian Air Force in the training and development of an Egyptian F-16 Fighter Wing.
Upon completion of his two years in Egypt, Lt. Col. Parke was assigned to Luke Air Force Base
in Phoenix, Arizona
as Assistant to the Director of the Goldwater Gunnery Range. There he was instrumental in development of the Environmental Impact Statement, which secured the military's continued use of the Goldwater Range, a critical national resource, for an additional 25 years. Lt. Col. Parke retired from Luke Air Force Base on New Year's Day
2000.
, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican
nomination for the U.S. House from Vermont
, losing to William Meub.
, he was the Republican nominee for Vermont's at-large
U.S. House
seat, running as a fiscal and social conservative who emphasized the need for a strong national defense. Parke was a firm defender of the Bush Administration's War on Terror
and the wars in Afghanistan
and Iraq
. He lost the general election
to incumbent
Representative Bernie Sanders
(I
-VT).
, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate from Vermont, losing to Richard Tarrant
.
, the American Legion
, and the Air Force Association.
(popularly known as the "Marble Mansion") in Fair Haven, Vermont. In the spring of 2010 Parke began the Marble Mansion Inn bed and breakfast.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
) is a retired United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
who was a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
Early life
Lt. Col. Gregory T. Parke was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 29, 1954. His father was a high school teacher and principal in ProctorsvilleCavendish, Vermont
Cavendish is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The town was named after William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire. The population was 1,470 at the 2000 census...
, Enosburg Falls
Enosburg Falls, Vermont
Enosburg Falls is a village in the town of Enosburgh in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,473 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, and Fair Haven, Vermont. He graduated high school from Sanborn Seminary
Sanborn Seminary
Sanborn Seminary was built in Kingston, New Hampshire, in 1883 by Major Edward S. Sanborn as the main building of a secular secondary boarding school. The school ran continuously until 1966 when it was sold to the Town of Kingston. The campus became known as Sanborn Regional High School and served...
in Kingston, New Hampshire
Kingston, New Hampshire
Kingston is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 6,025.- History :Kingston was the fifth town to be established in New Hampshire. Originally, it was a part of Hampton, New Hampshire...
and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
Cum Laude from the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
's Whittemore School of Business. While in college he was introduced to the writings of Austrian economist F.A. Hayek and Russian-American libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
writer Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
, whose free market philosophies would later influence him in his political career.
Military career
An Reserve Officers' Training CorpsReserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
Distinguished Graduate, Parke was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and was awarded the Presidential Saber.
He entered active duty attending Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately north of Columbus, Mississippi.The host unit at Columbus is the 14th Flying Training Wing assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. The 14 FTW's mission is to provide specialized...
in Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus is a city in Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States that lies above the Tombigbee River. It is approximately northeast of Jackson, north of Meridian, south of Tupelo, northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and west of Birmingham, Alabama. The population was 25,944 at the 2000 census...
. After earning his pilot's wings, Lt. Parke started his operational career in the T33 at Tyndall Interceptor Lead-In School in Panama City, Florida
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
. He then went on to Griffiss Air Force Base
Griffiss Air Force Base
Griffiss Air Force Base, is a former United States Air Force base, located in Rome, New York, about NW of Utica. Missions at Griffiss AFB included fighter interceptors, electronic research, installation, and support activities, aerial refueling, and bombers...
in Rome, New York
Rome, New York
Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
as an air defense pilot in the F-106 Delta Dart. After two years he was selected for duty as an advisor to the Royal Saudi Air Force in Ta’if
Ta’if
Ta’if is a city in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia at an elevation of on the slopes of the Sarawat Mountains . It has a population of 521,273 . Each summer the Saudi Government moves from the heat of Riyadh to Ta'if...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, where he spent two years instructing Saudi pilots in the employment of the F-5 Tiger-II. Captain Parke was then assigned to America's front-line fighter, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and stationed at Torrejón Air Base
Torrejon Air Base
Madrid-Torrejón Airport is a commercial airport in Spain. It is a joint-use facility between the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Works. The civil part is dedicated primarily to executive and private aviation. The airport is located northeast of Madrid, west of Alcalá de...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
for three years as a NATO nuclear strike pilot. Maj. Parke ended his tour there as Wing Chief of Training.
Just before the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
broke out, Major Parke was reassigned to the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs. As a Country Director he dealt with military issues relating to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He concluded his Pentagon tour as Executive Officer for the Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs. He was then promoted to Lt. Colonel and assigned to An Shas Air Base in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, where he commanded an advisory group assisting the Egyptian Air Force in the training and development of an Egyptian F-16 Fighter Wing.
Upon completion of his two years in Egypt, Lt. Col. Parke was assigned to Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about west of Phoenix, Arizona....
in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
as Assistant to the Director of the Goldwater Gunnery Range. There he was instrumental in development of the Environmental Impact Statement, which secured the military's continued use of the Goldwater Range, a critical national resource, for an additional 25 years. Lt. Col. Parke retired from Luke Air Force Base on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
2000.
2002 Vermont congressional candidate
In 2002United States Senate elections, 2002
The 2002 United States Senate election featured a series of fiercely contested elections that resulted in a victory for the Republican Party, which gained two seats and thus a narrow majority from the Democratic Party in the United States Senate. Senators who were elected in 1996, known as Senate...
, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination for the U.S. House from Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, losing to William Meub.
2004 Vermont congressional candidate
In 2004United States Senate elections, 2004
The United States Senate election, 2004 was an election for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate which coincided with the re-election of George W. Bush as president and the United States House election, as well as many state and local elections. Senators who were elected in 1998,...
, he was the Republican nominee for Vermont's at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
U.S. House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
seat, running as a fiscal and social conservative who emphasized the need for a strong national defense. Parke was a firm defender of the Bush Administration's War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
and the wars in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He lost the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
to incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Representative Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
(I
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
-VT).
2006 Vermont senatorial candidate
In 2006United States Senate elections, 2006
Elections for the United States Senate were held on November 7, 2006, with 33 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate being contested. Senators are elected for six-year terms, with one third of the Senate seats up for a vote every two years. The term of office for those elected in 2006 runs...
, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate from Vermont, losing to Richard Tarrant
Richard Tarrant
Richard Edward Tarrant, is an American businessman, and politician. Most recently, he was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from the state of Vermont in 2006, but lost the election to Representative Bernie Sanders...
.
Employment
In 2007 Parke formed Silver Skye Aviation, a contract pilot service company, flying corporate jets for clients around the world.Affiliations
Parke is a member of the Veterans of Foreign WarsVeterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
, the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, and the Air Force Association.
Other
In 2009 Parke purchased the former Ira C. Allen MansionIra C. Allen Mansion
The Ira C. Allen Mansion is a historic property on the Green in Fair Haven, Vermont. It is a contributing property to the Fair Haven Green Historic District.-History:...
(popularly known as the "Marble Mansion") in Fair Haven, Vermont. In the spring of 2010 Parke began the Marble Mansion Inn bed and breakfast.