James Stewart Deans (Stewart) Service Number A111982

Family

• Carolyn Lisa born 1975 (Butterworth Malaysia)
  Carolyn has completed an Arts Science degree and is currently doing Honors in Psychology at the ANU.
• Clinton James born 1977 (Canberra)
  Clinton has done studies in Hospitality and is currently unemployed.

Service Postings

• Upon Graduation, posted to 10 SQN RAAF Townsville from 1967 to Jan 1971 employed on a large range of airborne electronic systems mainly on Neptunes (SP2H).
• From 71 to mid 73 I worked at 3AD (home of the headless chook) mostly on Canberras.
• From 73 to early 75 I was posted to Billsville working on Mirage communications and Matra Missile maintenance.
• This was followed by two and a half years in Butterworth Malaysia doing much the same work only hotter. (It did enable us to do a side trip around the globe with young baby in tow)
• From Malaysia I was posted to Canberra where I stayed until retirement from the RAAF except for a six month detachment to El Gorah in Sinai as part of the Multi-National Force and Observers (MFO) observing conformance to the Camp David Accords. My job at both Canberra and El Gorah was predominately helicopter maintenance.
  This trip enabled me to visit the tourist spots of Egypt and Israel as well at Crete and Greece.

Education

• Like many of the members of 19 Course I started matriculation at the famous Ipswich Technical College. ( I finished it there to - sort of).
• After matriculation I started Uni at Newcastle University - as Gough had just removed the Uni Fees then. I was only able to do a year of part-time study before being posted to Malaysia and a spell from studies.
• I started again at the Canberra College of Advanced Education in 1979 doing a degree in applied science. I missed a year in 83 due the posting to Sinai but had not completed the degree in 85 when I got a gob as a Senior Technical Officer Gd 1 (STO1) with the Directorate of Submarine Maintenance and Repair.
• At this time I applied for and was successful in receiving a Cadetship with the Navy to complete an engineering degree in Communication Electronics. This took another two years full time (on full pay) {well I had to fight a Navy over that too but that˙s another story} Awarded degree 1988 (and had my picture on the cover of the handbook in 1989).
• After a break I started on a Masters course in Engineering Science at ADFA and on completion of that (1991) had another break.
• Then started on a MBA through Deakin University and APESMA. I was awarded the Post Grad Dip in 1994 and the MBA (Tech Management) in Oct 95.

Post RAAF employment

• After completing the Engineering Degree I spent a few weeks completing a project at CCAE (now Canberra University) and did a presentation before a Signal Processing Group. They were so impressed I still get documents from SA addressed to Dr. S Deans.
• On return to work I spent a little time in Electrical Design (boring) before working as a Engineer Class 1 (now called PO1) at the Combat Data Systems Centre (CDSC) at Fyshwick. The work was basically software testing although I wrote a few programs and did some hardware design as well as learning how to read punched paper tapes and drive an ancient germanium discrete transistor computer with the power of a 640k AT and the size of pantry cupboard.
• After about 9 months I successfully applied for promotion to Engineer Class 2 at the Directorate of Naval Weapons Design. This job involved mainly Project Management work in relation to the provision of simulation equipment for the Submarine Warfare Systems Centre at HMAS Watson but also other problems with the equipment on Oberon Submarines.
• Due to re-organisation and devolution of positions to Sydney my position in DNWD was to be scrapped and I was lucky to be able to apply for promotion to Engineer Class 3 (now Senior Professional Officer - Grade C) at DSMR (where I had worked previously). This Directorate was being broken up and the bit I was in was to be moved to Sydney. I was then the Assistant Platform Manager Submarine and had about a year to find another position.
• I elected to go to the New Submarine Project in 1989 and have remained there since except for a six month rotation to the Defence Materiel Division where I did work on Projects for which, for the most part, Al George (HQADF) was the customer.
• My current responsibilities in the Submarine Project Office cover Periscopes, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Communications (External and Internal), Shore Facilities and a thing called the Simulator/Data Monitor. It seems sometimes that these are where all the problems lie but I know there are many other issues of concern.
• I was the Project Manager for Sea 1420 (SATCOM for Collins and ANZACs) and progressed that through the approvals process before having to hand it over due to my high workload.

Leisure

• Dianne is a keen walker and tries to get me involved and mostly I don˙t mind. She is also a screen printer so if you need some commemorative 19 Course T Shirts send in your designs and we can make them up.
• I like to garden and currently am keen to grow Australia˙s biggest pumpkin. This year (1997) I have grown one that weighed 204.5 kilos, the Australian record being 251kg.. Next year I intend to get serious.
• I am a member of the Canberra PC Users Group and member of the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers as well as the Institution of Engineers Australia and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
• I seem to spend much leisure time building things and am currently re-building a workshop in the garage so that I can organise all my tools, keep the dust off and have a place for everything so I can find it when I need to.
• Next projects are to rebuild the path around the front gate, demolish the huge skateboard ramp and prepare the ground for the big one.