Ray Griggs

Raymond James Griggs
Vice Admiral Ray Griggs in April 2013
Born	July 1961 (age 55) Homebush, New South Wales
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Royal Australian Navy
Years of service	1978 – present
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands held	Vice Chief of the Defence Force (2014–) Chief of Navy (2011–14) Australian Amphibious Task Group (2005–06) HMAS Arunta (2001–03)
Battles/wars	War in Afghanistan
Awards	Officer of the Order of Australia Conspicuous Service Cross Commendation for Distinguished Service
Other work	Vice-President Australian Naval Institute (2006–11)

Vice Admiral Raymond James "Ray" Griggs, AO, CSC (born July 1961) is a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy and the current Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF). He previously served as Chief of Navy from 7 June 2011 to 30 June 2014.

Ray Griggs was born in Homebush, New South Wales in July 1961 to James and Maureen Griggs.

Griggs joined the Adelaide Port Division of the Royal Australian Navy Reserve in 1978 as a radio operator. He entered the Royal Australian Naval College at HMAS Creswell on a "short service commission" in 1979. In his early years, Griggs served on the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and HMA ships Yarra and Advance. He then spent 12 months with the Royal Navy on HMS Jersey where he gained 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.

Promoted to lieutenant, from 1983 to 1994 he completed a series of postings as Navigating Officer of HMA Ships Cessnock, Torrens, Tobruk, Jervis Bay and Perth. Other roles included: aide-de-camp to the Governor of Tasmania, Sir James Plimsoll; two postings in the Navy's officer career management directorate; Staff Officer (Navigation) to the Commander Australian Patrol Boat Forces; and at Australian Defence Headquarters in Canberra, Deputy Director Military Strategy as lieutenant commander, and Director Future Warfare as Captain.

From 1995 to 1997 he served as commissioning Executive Officer of HMAS Anzac, helping to bring the Anzac class frigates into service. In October 2001 he assumed command of the ANZAC class frigate HMAS Arunta and was immediately involved in border protection duties as part of Operation RELEX. Arunta then deployed to the Persian Gulf to enforce United Nations sanctions against Iraq and in support of "The War on Terror". The ship was recognized for her efforts by being awarded the Duke of Gloucester Cup for being the most operationally efficient ship in the RAN fleet for 2002. In 2003 Griggs was posted as the ANZAC class Capability Element Manager in Rockingham, Western Australia. In 2004 he studied at the National War College in Washington D.C., prior to assuming command of the Australian Amphibious Task Group in mid-2005.