Joddie

A career less ordinary

John Oddie is not your stereotypical 33-year veteran general officer. Short and slight in stature and with a thinned hairline and a recent greying ginger beard, his appearance is a stark contrast to that of the barrel-chested cigar-chomping or moustache-twirling cliché most nations expect to see in their senior military commanders.

But what ‘Joddie’ lacks in physical presence he more than makes up for in cerebral capacity. Unconventional, frank but compassionate, self-deprecating, and with an acutely sharp wit, Oddie is greatly respected by his seniors, colleagues and subordinates alike. One former colleague once described Oddie to this writer as being “slightly quirky” while possessing “a brain the size of a planet”.