THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
An 80-year-old woman who has worked at a US Air Force (USAF) base for 63 years has become an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Faith Rutterford, of Barton Mills, started work at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk in April 1959, and she still works as a secretary at the base.
Ms Rutterford has been described by the Commander of the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron as the "glue that binds the squadron together".
She was recognised for public service.
Ms Rutterford said she was "very honoured and very proud" to have been appointed MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire).
"I just enjoy meeting the people and I've been given the health and strength by the Lord to do it," she said.
Ms Rutterford's service spans the entire period that RAF Mildenhall has been under the operational control of the USAF in Europe. The base celebrated her 60th anniversary of employment at Mildenhall in 2019 by awarding her an American Meritorious Civilian Service Award, an "extremely rare" award for a non-American to receive.
It was presented for "outstanding service in an exemplary manner and is usually reserved for those holding the equivalent of a field-grade officer".
