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Brigadier Mark Dodson, DL, MBE
Brigadier Mark Dodson is a retired British Army officer whose career spanned operational command, staff appointments, and diplomatic service. He was commissioned into the Gordon Highlanders in 1979 and served with the regiment in Edinburgh, Inverness, Ballater, Northern Ireland, Belize, and Germany, including two years as Officer Commanding 22 Cadet Training Team in Aberdeen.
Dodson attended the Staff College, Camberley, in 1991 and subsequently became Deputy Chief of Staff of 4th Armoured Brigade and Osnabrück Garrison. The final six months of this posting were spent in Bosnia on Operation Grapple 3, for which he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Following the amalgamation of the Scottish infantry in 1994, he commanded D Company, The Highlanders, undertaking operational tours in South Armagh and Londonderry. He later served as Commanding Officer of The Highlanders from 1998 to 2000, leading the battalion in Catterick, Canada, the United States, and Northern Ireland.
Dodson's tri‑service staff appointments have included service as Military Assistant to the Commander British Forces Hong Kong in the period leading up to the 1997 handover to China, SO1 J5 Plans at the Permanent Joint Headquarters, and later as Defence Attaché in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. Other senior staff roles have included Military Assistant to the Adjutant General and Colonel MS (A) at the Army Personnel Centre.
Promoted to brigadier, he commanded Multi‑National Task Force North‑West in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 2004 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007 he served as Deputy Commander, London District, acting as the de facto regional brigade commander responsible for training, operations, and administration of most regular, reserve, and cadet units within the M25. As Territorial Army and Youth “Champion”, he worked closely with the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for Greater London on community engagement, employer support, recruiting, and cadet matters.
After a period as Assistant Chief of Staff (Personnel) at HQ Land, during which he oversaw its merger with DPS(A), Dodson returned to the Army Personnel Centre as Deputy Military Secretary, guiding the organisation through a major restructuring and the introduction of Joint Personnel Administration (JPA). His final appointment before retirement was a second tour as Defence Attaché in Oman.
Dodson has held a number of regimental and sporting appointments, including Representative Colonel of 4 SCOTS and Chairman of The Highlanders Trust (2005–2010). He served as Vice‑Chairman of the Army Winter Sports Association (2007–2008) and Chairman of Army Alpine Skiing (2009–2010).
He is Honorary Colonel of Aberdeen UOTC and a member of the Royal Company of Archers1.
In January 2024 he was appointed Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross2.
Dodson retired as Chief Executive of Highland Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association in October 2025.
Source
• Highland Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association
- "Perth and Kinross Lieutenancy". Perth and Kinross Lieutenancy.
- "Perth and Kinross Lieutenancy". Perth and Kinross Lieutenancy.