The Gulf through a veteran’s lens

Navy veteran Greg Scott 

Working as a combat systems operator from 1997 to 2006, he recalls the fond memories of his life at sea and the direction it steered him in afterwards. 

What motivated you to join the Navy in your youth?

I was raised in a small town outside Taree in NSW and joined the Navy straight out of high school, aged 18. My enlistment represented an opportunity to see the world and get a head start in life. I was working at my parents’ nursery when I met a veteran who talked about the opportunities he had as a young bloke to travel and have some fun experiences. That really sold me.

I enlisted and completed recruit school in Melbourne at HMAS Cerberus and category training at HMAS Watson in Sydney, qualifying as a combat systems operator. I would eventually work as an electronic warfare director, specialising in above-water warfare. 

What was your role in the Navy?

My role involved anti-ship missile defence, and hull-to-emitter correlation using sensors that could detect radar emissions from aircraft and ships to identify friend or foe. If we detected anything, we would provide command with tactical information for their appreciation and prepare any countermeasures we needed to put in place.

What did life at sea entail during your service?

Greg in his Royal Australian Navy uniform 

After a posting on HMAS Perth before it was decommissioned in 2000, I prepared for the journey of a lifetime aboard HMAS Melbourne, which was exciting because it was supposed to be sailing on an around-the-world tour, but that trip got cancelled because of what happened on September 11.

I was deployed near Iraq as part of Operation Slipper and Operation Catalyst, stationed around the oil terminals of the North Arabian Gulf (NAG). Our role was to provide protection to the terminals and ensure sanctions by performing hundreds of vessel intercepts and boardings. Our boarding parties would be sent out to check for smuggled oil, drugs, weapons or people.

I remember little things during that time, like how narrow and low the passageways were; the heat and the cool; the smells; the movement of the ship; having close mates around you; and wearing doona jackets inside our temperature-controlled operations room, even though it could be 50°C outside.

How did you document your experiences in the Middle East?

At the turn of the millennium, many service men – including me – bought digital cameras to record their experiences overseas. This sparked my interest in photography, which continued after I left the Navy. I used it as a wellbeing outlet while working in the Navy and later for the Australian Classification Board, then the Office of the E-Safety Commissioner. 

Two decades later, I submitted one of my pictures from the Gulf to be displayed in the Point & Shoot veteran’s photography exhibition. It was a photo showing a signalman’s lamp reflecting the oil terminal at sunset. It was such a nice night, and it reflected the oil terminal well. I've been out of the Navy longer than I was in now, but when I look at it, I think warmly of my formative years as an adult in the military.

What do you hope the public gains from engaging with veterans’ stories?

Upon reflection, I think there are benefits to sharing stories across all accounts of service. I had such positive experiences in the military and want to represent a Navy veteran’s perspective of life at sea. Sharing my story has enabled me to look back fondly on my time, and hopefully other veterans can remember their time by sharing too.

If we can help the public think about the sacrifice and time that our veterans spend away from their families and the risk they put themselves in, then I think we will make a great impact on the perceptions of military service.

Point & Shoot exhibition

Greg Scott’s photo was selected for the Point & Shoot photography exhibition in 2021. This year’s exhibition will be travelling to Brisbane on 13-15 October and Townsville on 20-22 October 2023. Learn more at pointandshoot.online.

Operation Catalyst 

16 July 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the start of Operation Catalyst. This operation followed the invasion of Iraq, codenamed Operation Falconer, on 20 March 2003. Learn more about this significant chapter in Australia’s military history by visiting Australian War Memorial marks Iraq Invasion 20 years on. 

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