 | Fleet Air Arm |
| Fleet Air Arm |
2 June 2011
The Australian Government has announced its recommendations for the new Chiefs of the Australian Defence Force and they include promotion of a former Navy Skyhawk pilot to the job of Vice Chief of the Defence Force.
The recommendations to the Governor-General will be for three-year appointments to take effect from 4 July 2011. The appointments include:
Air Marshal Mark Binskin (pictured) was born in Sydney in 1960. His service career started with the RAN in May 1978 and on completion of flying training he was posted to fly A-4G Skyhawk aircraft at Naval Air Station at Nowra, NSW.
He served in VC724 and VF805 Squadrons and in January 1982 was selected as the first RAN pilot to undergo an exchange with the Royal Australian Air Force flying Mirage III aircraft. On completion of this exchange and with the disbanding of the Navy’s fixed wing capability, he joined the RAAF. He was promoted to Air Marshal and appointed Chief of Air Force in July 2008.
Rear Admiral Ray Griggs, the new Chief of Navy, was born in Homebush NSW in 1961. He joined the Adelaide Port Division of the RAN Reserve in 1978 as a radio operator and entered the RAN College at Jervis Bay on a short service commission in 1979.
During his seaman officer training he served in the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and HMA ships Yarra and Advance before spending 12 months with the Royal Navy in HMS Jersey to gain his bridge watchkeeping certificate. In late 1981 he was posted to HMAS Perth as a bridge watchkeeper and deployed to the North West Indian Ocean in support of Australia’s independent presence in that region following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
From 1983 to 1994 the then Lieutenant Griggs completed a series of postings as navigating officer. Between 1995-97 he served as commissioning executive officer on HMAS Anzac helping to bring the Anzac Class frigates into service. In October 2001 he assumed command of HMAS Arunta and was immediately involved in border protection duties and on Persian Gulf operations.
His most recent role has been as Deputy Chief of Joint Operations.
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