Net guru to hang up his mouse

CPO Russ Graystone in his heyday.

By Amanda McIntosh

CPO Russ Graystone, who runs the Navy Internet site, is having his second attempt at leaving the Navy, but this time he says it is for good.

Russ has looked after the Navy Internet in its present form since June 1999.

Russ first joined the Navy as a 15-year-old recruit in January 1969 and left full-time service in September 1988. He continued as a Reservist and took up a one-year CFTS contract in May 2002, coming to Navy Headquarters in Canberra to run the Navy Internet full-time.

Russ intends to continue to serve in the Navy Reserve after his full-time contract expires.

During his 20 years in the RAN Russ spent more than 12 years at sea. He served in HMA Ships Derwent, Stuart (II), Vampire, Attack and Brisbane.

Much of Russ’s Naval career was spent in the Far East station, as Asia was then known, and later in the Persian Gulf. One of the Navy highlights was his first trip to South East Asia including Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan.

In 1997 Russ created his website The Gun Plot (www.gunplot.net) which is an unofficial site about the RAN. He continues to maintain and add to this site which is well known throughout the Navy, in Australia, and worldwide.

The Gun Plot is the most authoritative unofficial site about the RAN on the Internet. The Discovery channel, the US Navy and many Australian universities use The Gun Plot as a research tool.

It was the achievements of this personal site that led to Russ being asked to update the official Navy site (www.navy.gov.au). He has been almost solely responsible for making the Navy website what it is today as well as looking after all the maintenance and upkeep of the site for the last three years.

The Navy website receives more than a million hits per month and on average between 15 and 20 feedback emails per week. Even with the media often reporting negative stories about the RAN, very little of the feedback (email and other) received about the Navy Internet is negative.

The current Navy website has achieved exposure to a grass roots level as well as being one of the public faces of the Navy.

One of the most popular sections is the Virtual Fleet, which provides an online tour of a number of different classes of current and historical vessels. An upgrade to the Virtual Fleet is currently under way; the first stages are now available and include downloadable wallpapers and online video.

Russ leaves the Navy Internet in April, we wish him well in the future and... we need someone to fill his job. Any PNF/RANR members who have the skills and/or interest to work on either the Navy Internet or Intranet sites please contact LEUT Kate Ryan on 02-6265 5152 or email katrina.ryan@defence.gov.au.

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