Alan DillonIn 1988 aged 18, Alan Dillon left his hometown of Watford and joined the Royal Marines. After twelve years of overseas travel, operational tours and a short spell of learning Arabic, he abandoned the profession of soldiery for one of diplomacy, joinig the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2000. He has served in Afghanistan, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and Oman, interspersed by spells in various parts of Whitehall, mostly covering the Gulf region. Read More Read Less