By Ray Kisonas, The Associated Press
FRENCHTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- After 26 years as a Monroe County, Mich. sheriff’s deputy, Orval Parker easily could have lived on his pension.
Instead, the 52-year-old Woodland Beach man is heading to Iraq next month to help train and rebuild the country’s police force.
“It’s a small way that I can be part of the development of a new nation,” Parker said. “I’d like to use my years of experience to help someone else. It’s not an opportunity you can get every day.”
After months of research and e-mail communications, Parker has been accepted to participate in a program that will send 1,000 police officers and corrections officers to Iraq to help rebuild the country’s force.
The U.S. Department of State awarded DynCorp International a $50 million contract to provide 1,000 advisers with 10 years of domestic law enforcement, corrections and judicial experience to help the government of Iraq organize an effective civilian law enforcement.
Those chosen to participate in the program will be paid and must have specialized training in areas such as police training, crime scene investigation, border security and traffic accident investigations.
During his 26 years on the force, Parker worked in the traffic investigations unit, undercover, jail transport and road patrol.
He will head to Virginia, probably in February, where he will receive training. He then will be shipped to Baghdad where he will stay for one year and train the city’s police officers.
What exactly his job will be has not yet been determined. Parker believes he will work with the Iraqi officers to teach them community policing.
Parker said he is ready for the challenge. He also must face the possibility of attack
Suicide bombers have targeted police officers, and Parker said that is a concern.
“That’s something you have to deal with, and I spent a lot of time thinking it over,” Parker said. “It’s a personal challenge.”
Parker, born and raised in Monroe, said the task is a personal challenge for him. It was 1974 when he was shipped to Okinawa, Japan, as a law enforcer with the Air Force.
Now, 30 years later, he is heading overseas again.
“It’s going to be tense a lot but hopefully that’s where 30 years of experience will come in handy,” he said. “I’m just going to do my job and enjoy myself as much as I can.”