Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

John Cedric Grey AC (born 31 January 1939) was a senior officer in the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

who served as Chief of the General Staff from 1992 to 1995. He was Chancellor of

James Cook University James Cook University (JCU) is a public university in North Queensland, Australia. The second oldest university in Queensland, JCU is a teaching and research institution. The university's main campuses are located in the tropical cities of Cair ...

from 1999 to 2016.

Early life

Grey was born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, New South Wales, on 31 January 1939 to Aubrey Cedric and Dacia Downing Grey. He was educated at St Andrew's Cathedral School and

Sydney Grammar School Sydney Grammar School (SGS, colloquially known as Grammar) is an independent, non-denominational day school for boys, located in Sydney, Australia. Incorporated in 1854 by an Act of Parliament and opened in 1857, the school claims to offer "c ...

, before entering the

Royal Military College, Duntroon The Royal Military College, Duntroon, also known simply as Duntroon, is the Australian Army's Officer (armed forces), officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory, Duntroon in Canberra, Australian Capi ...

as an

officer cadet Officer cadet is a rank held by military personnel during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by personnel of University Service Units such as the University Officers' Training Corps. Th ...

in 1957.Board of Directors
, Tarong Energy Annual Report 1998/99, pg.8, www.tarongenergy.com.au

Military career

Grey was posted to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment and, as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, was deployed to

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

for which he was belatedly awarded the Commendation for Distinguished Service.Commendation for Distinguished Service, 3 June 1998
It's an Honour By 1984 he had been promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

and made Director of Co-ordination at the Department of Defence. He became Assistant Chief of Defence Force, Logistics and was made an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AO) in 1991 for service in that role.Officer of the Order of Australia, 26 January 1991
It's an Honour He was appointed Chief of the General Staff in 1992 and made a

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AC) in 1995 for outstanding leadership, inspiration and dedication to the

during a period of profound restructuring.Companion of the Order of Australia, 12 June 1995
It's an Honour

Retirement

In retirement he established his own consultancy business based in

Cairns Cairns (; ) is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. In the , Cairns had a population of 153,181 people. The city was founded in 1876 and named after William Cairns, Sir W ...

; he also became a Non-Executive Director of Tarong Energy and

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

. In 2003 he was appointed

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

's Wet Tropics Management Authority Board.New Wet Tropics Chair and board member announced
, Media Release, 13 May 2003, Wet Tropics Management Authority Board

Honours, awards and qualifications

(AC) 12 June 1995 *

(AO) 26 January 1991 * Commendation for Distinguished Service 3 June 1998 * Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management (F.A.I.M.) * Graduate member of the

Australian Institute of Company Directors The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is a non-profit membership organization for directors. The AICD is a founding member of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI). History The origins of the AICD can be traced ba ...

(G.A.I.D.C.) * National Defence College (India) (N.D.C.(I).) * Joint Services Staff College (Australia) (J.S.S.C.)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grey, John 1939 births Australian generals Australian military personnel of the Vietnam War Companions of the Order of Australia Academic staff of James Cook University Living people People educated at Sydney Grammar School Military personnel from Sydney Recipients of the Commendation for Distinguished Service Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates Chiefs of Army (Australia)

Early life

Military career

Retirement

Honours, awards and qualifications

See also

References