JIM DOBSON doesn’t talk much about what he’s done. He talks about who stood beside him.
He doesn’t claim strength. He remembers support. That belief — that he never stood alone — has carried him from the battlefield to the school hallway.
“My soldiers got me back to the aid station,” he declared. “My wife got me where I needed to be.”
Long before all that, he was just one of many boys marching toy soldiers across carpets and lawns. At 6 years old, Dobson had open-heart surgery, and others told him he’d never serve in the military. But the dream held on.
A year into college, he left school and enlisted.
“Graduating as an Infantryman was a dream come true,” he said. “And when I finished Airborne School, I felt like I could take on anything.”
Dobson returned to college and earned his commission as an armor officer. In 2005, he was leading soldiers in Iraq as a Company Commander when an improvised explosive device exploded nearby.
“We all thought it would be the other guy,” he reflected. “When the doctor tells you he might have to amputate your leg, it makes you take a long look at your future.”
The Purple Heart recipient eventually returned home and retired from the Army, but a heart for serving others led him further. Dobson became active with the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
“When I retired, I told myself I would get involved,” he said. “Then I saw Kim King and everything she does, and it made me want to do whatever I can to help her in taking care of veterans.”
In May 2024, he was named the VFW Department of Tennessee’s Member of the Year. He sees the recognition as a reminder — not of what he’s done, but of the work that still matters.
That same steady sense of service guides him as principal of Westwood Middle School in Manchester, first as a teacher and now as principal.
Dobson tried to leave the Army behind him for a while, preferring to concentrate on being a teacher. But over time, he found peace in honoring both parts of who he is — letting his past inform his present, not define it.
For the past thirteen years, Dobson has brought the same leadership he once used in combat to the school hallways, though, as his wife and former soldiers have reminded him, students and teachers aren’t exactly soldiers.
“One team, one fight,” he said. “My job is to support the teachers and make sure everyone has what they need to do their best.”
Setting up his team for success, just as others have done for him.
“Whatever success I may have, it is not me,” he said. “The Lord has blessed me with individuals who make things happen.”
Dobson may no longer wear the uniform, but the mission never left him. Whether lending a hand at the VFW or guiding students through the school day, he still leads by showing up for others — quietly, consistently, and never alone. GN
