 He also served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers from November 1973 to November 1974 and was an honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.Laing returned to military service by being invited to join the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, an unpaid, voluntary Territorial Army unit which advises the British Army on engineering matters.He joined as a Major on 14 October 1966, was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel on 23 December 1967 and Colonel on 17 May 1971.