Lorraine Anderson awarded MBE

Warrant Officer Class 2 Lorraine Anderson awarded the MBE

Warrant Officer Class 2 Lorraine (Lorrie) Anderson, from Littleborough, was awarded the MBE in the New Year’s Honours List 2017 for services to Army Reserve recruiting.

Lorrie took over the role of Regimental Operations Support Warrant Officer for the 4th Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, the North West’s Infantry four years ago.

Just as Lorrie took over the role the way in which Army Reserve recruiting was conducted changed completely as the Army Reserve became a more integrated part of the regular Army. This required a much systematic and dynamic approach to recruiting.

The officer in charge of recruiting left after a couple of weeks of the new regime leaving Lorrie to bring the organisation together.

Lorrie recruited the staff needed, set up the offices and other infrastructure required and set up the systems required to control the process, leading from the front, often working very long hours.

A great deal of what Lorrie set up at that time is now deemed as best practice across the Army.

When Lorrie started the job the battalion had recruited 27 soldiers in the previous year, due to her ability to lead the team the following year the battalion recruited 117.

Lorrie continues to be an integral part of the Battalion Recruiting Organisation.

The battalion is now the best recruited Army Reserve battalion out of 14 in the Army, a large amount of that success is down to Lorrie’s drive, determination, selfless commitment, leadership and professional ability.