Educated at Brentwood School and University College, Cardiff, Brown was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1974.

[1] In 1994 he was appointed Commanding Officer of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

[1] He then went to Sarajevo as Assistant Chief of Staff for the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps during the Bosnian War.

[1] He became the last General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland in 2008:[1] The post was downgraded to that of a Brigadier when Brown left in 2009.

[5] After retiring from military service, Brown worked as an advisor to the African Union on security for the 2011 South Sudanese independence referendum.