President
Lorraine Holland, MAJ USA (ret) is currently the President of the Military Association of America (MOAA) Central Florida Chapter (CFC). Lorraine is a Life Member of MOAA, which is America’s largest lobbying association to protect the rights of all military personnel.
Lorraine moved to Montana at age 15, and during her senior year in High School, she enlisted in the U.S, Army. She went on active duty in 1975 as a Private in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). She was the first woman to graduate from the Army’s Machinist Course in early 1976. She remained on active duty until late 1978 and joined the Montana National Guard while attending college.
In 1980, Lorraine was commissioned in the Army and completed the Army Ordnance Corps Basic Maintenance Officer course in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. She was assigned to Fort Devens, Massachusetts where she held various levels of Logistics positions in support of 10th Special Forces.
In 1985 she completed the Army Ordnance Corps Advanced course, and was assigned to Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland as a Commander of a Chemical Maintenance company. She completed the Material Acquisition Management Course and spent several years in Contracting, and Research and Development with both military and civilians.
In 1990 Lorraine was assigned to 2nd Armored Division (Fwd) in Garlstadt Germany, as the Support Operations Officer. Her unit deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm in January 1991. 2nd Armored Division served along side the British 1stDivision, and both units were the first to penetrate the Iraqi breach when the war began in February. Her unit headed north towards Basra, and the British units went east to overtake the Republican Guard. Lorraine was the head logistician working at the front lines to ensure commanders had enough supplies to keep up with the unexpected momentum, of what ended up being a short war. She was then responsible for all logistics to set up and maintain a refugee site for 25,000 displaced Kurds. For her efforts, she received a Bronze Star, after 9 months of deployment to the Gulf.
In late 1991, 2nd Armored Division (Fwd) was the first unit in Europe to deactivate. Lorraine was responsible to ensure all equipment was dispersed within Army units in Europe or returned to U.S. Army units in the states. In 1992, Lorraine was promoted to Major, and reassigned to NATO, in Brussels, where she worked as the Chief Logistics Officer for all Army personnel assigned to NATO.
In 1993, Lorraine was sent to the Pentagon to work for the Director of Logistics. She was on a small task force to access the entire European downsizing effort for equipment, which received $800 million from Congress. A large portion of the funds were allocated to 13 different National Guard sites in the U.S. to repair and reissue equipment coming out of Europe. Lorraine spent more time flying back and forth to Europe, and between the 13 repair sites than at the Pentagon! Lorraine retired from active service in 1996 and received a Legion of Merit for a career of exceptionally meritorious conduct.
Lorraine was awarded a master’s degree in Contracting and Logistics from Florida Institute of Technology. She was married for 20 years to LTC Nigel Holland, a Royal Engineer in the British Army, who sadly passed away in 2011. She lives in Oviedo and remains very active in the Military community and serves on 5 different military councils within the Orlando area.
