Operation CATALYST: Brigadier Brian Robert Dawson, AM, CSC
Brian Dawson was born in 1954 in Traralgon, Victoria. After completing his secondary education in Rochester he entered the Royal Military College in 1973 and graduated into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps in 1976.
His early career was spent in a variety of Regimental and staff appointments before being accepted into the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in 1980 as a troop commander. He then had a two-year appointment in the United Kingdom as a staff officer with Headquarters - Special Air Service Group and then returned to SASR in 1984 as an operations officer. In 1986 he commanded the Regiment’s counter terrorist squadron.
Brigadier Dawson has served in a wide-range of strategic-level Army and Defence appointments. He served as the Commanding Officer Base Administrative Support Centre North Queensland in 1995-96, the Colonel Operations in Support Command Australia (Army) in 1997 – 1999, the Director General Preparedness - Defence Headquarters in 2001 – 02, the Chief of Staff - Land Headquarters in 2003 - 05 and as the Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2007. On 10 November 2007 he was assigned as the Deputy Commander Joint Task Force 633 - Iraq, responsible for Australian Defence Force operations in and around Iraq as part of Operation CATALYST.
Brigadier Dawson has previously served on operations in Somalia in 1994 and in the Solomon Islands in 1999 – 2000. He was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross for his service in Somalia as a Plans Officer with the UN mission headquarters, and appointed a Member of the Military Division of the order of Australia in 2000 for his service in Support Command Australia.
Brigadier Dawson is a graduate of the Australian Army Command and Staff College and the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies. As a graduate of the University of New South Wales he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Military Studies in 1976, and he completed a Master in Strategic Studies through Latrobe University in 2001.
Brigadier Dawson and his wife Jacqui have a son Callum and daughter Caitlin. His interests include military history, Australian Rules football and cricket.
Information current at 10 November 2007.