Montana native, Lt, Commander Phillip Parker USNR (Ret.) is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He the USS submarine Simon Bolivar, and later as engineering division officer. After his active duty Navy career he worked in the field of computer science, working with NASA. Working at Goddard Space Flight Center, he supported several missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope.

Parker's intitial interest in the USS Constitution was triggered by an uncle who served on the Constitution during this tour.