Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Lawrence Bailey was born in Jamaica’s capital city, Kingston, in 1961. During his formative years, his parents moved from Kingston to reside in the parish of St Thomas where he received his education at Morant Bay Primary, Lyssons All Age, and Seaforth Secondary (now Seaforth High School). After graduating from high school in 1978, he enrolled at the Port Morant Trade Training Centre in the Carpentry and Joinery Department and successfully completed the tradesman qualification course.

WO1 Bailey enlisted in the Jamaica Defence Force in October 1980 and completed the rigors of basic military training at the JDF Training Depot in Newcastle, St Andrew, following which, he was posted to Bravo Company in the 1st Battalion The Jamaica Regiment (1JR), as a rifleman. He was transferred in 1985 to the Headquarter Company  as the Battalion’s Physical Training Instructor (PTI) and then to the Support and Services Battalion in 2003, in a similar capacity,  where he was instrumental in forming the Force Physical Education Training Wing (FPETW).  He served the Unit as the Quartermaster Senor Instructor (QMSI) before moving on to the top post as the Unit’s Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) in 2006.

His parent Battalion (1JR) boasted the motto ‘First and Foremost’, which became a driving force behind this highly motivated soldier.  His talent and innate competitive spirit, has also made him a success in many representational sports namely: Track and Field, March and Shoot, Swimming and Boxing.
An excellent boxer, WO1 Bailey has represented his Company, Battalion, JDF and Jamaica, and his accolades include Battalion, Force and National Championships. He represented Jamaica at the Caribbean Amateur Boxing Association (CABA), Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games, the Pan-American Games, Conseil Internationale du Sport Militaire (CISM) and other world championships. WO1 Bailey retired from competitive boxing in 1995 and currently serves the Jamaica Boxing Board of Control (JBBC) Executive Body as a Technical Advisor. He is presently the only Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) Referee and Judge in Jamaica.

The RSM is a keen soldier who believes in the concept, ‘fitness is the key to good soldiering’. In 1983, he completed the Basic PTI Course in Newcastle, the Assistant PTI Course in Aldershot, England, in 1985, and more recently in 2007, he completed a Bachelors Degree (Honours) in Physical Education at the GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport in St Catherine, Jamaica. 
WO1 Bailey is the quintessence of hard work and excellence. His dedication to task and an abiding respect for the core values of the JDF have earned him the following promotions insignias over the past twenty-seven years:

            Lance Corporal                      -           29 Aug 1985
            Corporal                                  -           10 Sep 1987
            Sergeant                                 -           08 Aug 1992
            Staff Sergeant                        -           13 Feb 1997
            Warrant Officer Class 2       -           01 Jun 2001
            Warrant Officer Class 1        -           26 Oct 2006

He is the recipient of the Medal of Honour for General Service having served in Grenada on Operation URGENT FURY. He has also received the Medal of Honour for Long Service and Good Conduct.
WO1 Bailey is married and the father of two beautiful daughters. He considers himself a modern man with a penchant for modern technology. Apart from his love for physical fitness, sports, and martial arts, he enjoys going to the movies, adventure training and listening to BBC radio.