Rear Admiral Brian Lee Adams AO

Deputy Chief of Navy (2000–2002)

Brian Lee Adams was born in Southport, Queensland, on 26 June 1952 and joined the RAN as a junior recruit at HMAS Leeuwin in January 1968. He was selected for officer training and became a midshipman in June 1969. He then served as a seaman officer in patrol boats, landing craft and ships, and destroyers. While on exchange with the Royal Navy in 1981 and 1982, he served in the assault ship HMS Intrepid, undertaking amphibious warfare duties with the Royal Marines and instructing young officers from Britannia Royal Naval College in navigation, seamanship and leadership. He has commanded HMAS Tarakan and HMAS Tobruk.

His postings have included the Australian Joint Warfare Establishment, as the RAN director, and Australian Defence Force Headquarters, where he worked in capital equipment programming, preparedness and resource policy development. In 1993 and 1994, he commanded HMAS Creswell, the RAN College at Jervis Bay, after which he served for 2 years as the director of Naval Warfare in Maritime Headquarters in Sydney.

From January 1998 to early 2000, he was commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra. He was promoted to rear admiral in June 2000, which was followed shortly thereafter by his appointment as Deputy Chief of Navy. On 26 August 2002, Adams was appointed to the position of Head Defence Personnel Executive.

He is a graduate of the Australian Army Command and Staff College, the Joint Services Staff College and the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies. He holds degrees in arts and business administration.

In 2003, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force and the RAN as commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy and as Deputy Chief of Navy. This was a promotion within the order, after initial appointment as a member of the order (AM) in 1997 for exceptional service to training and warfare development.

Brian Adams retired from the Royal Australian Navy on 14 June 2005.