Maj. David Parker (left) and Master Sgt. Matthew Leonard stand atop the frozen Yukon River outside the village of Ruby, Alaska during their deployment for Operation Arctic Care. Parker, a Yazoo City optometrist, traveled with other military and government medical professionals to remote villages to treat native Alaskans with limited access to health care.Parker performs an eye exam for a young patient in Ruby, Alaska.By JASON PATTERSON
Editor & Publisher

Sleeping on the floor of a schoolhouse, enduring freezing temperatures or having to travel by airplane isn’t part of a normal day at the office for Dr. David Parker.
But it was something he gladly endured to help provide care to some native Alaskan villagers in a recent humanitarian mission.
Parker, who is best known to most Yazooans though his local eye care practice, is the officer in charge of optometry for the 403rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron of the U.S. Air Force Reserves. After previously serving for a decade with the Marine Corps Active Reserves, Parker joined the Air Force Reserves in 2007.
He recently volunteered to participate in a mission to provide medical care to native Alaskans in remote villages who have extremely limited access to healthcare. Parker said the natives lead simple lives where they hunt moose and fish for salmon when the river isn’t frozen. Getting a pair of glasses isn’t as simple as visiting the local eye doctor.  
"In order for them to get vision care, they have to buy an airplane ticket and fly to Fairbanks for two or three days to see a doctor.,” Parker said.
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