Laura J. Richardson

Lieutenant General Laura J. Richardson (2014)

Laura Jane Strickland Richardson (* 1963 ) is a lieutenant general in the United States Army and commanding general in the United States Army North . She was previously deputy commanding general of FORSCOM . As an Army aviator, Richardson Sikorsky flew UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. Since 2011 she has served in various commandos in Fort Hood as Brigadier General and Chief of Staff for communications with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. In June 2017 she was promoted to lieutenant general and deputy commander-general of the US Armed Forces Command FORSCOM. Richardson was acting commander of FORSCOM from October 2018 to March 2019. In April 2019, she was named the first female commander of the United States Army North. She took command on July 8, 2019.

Earlier life

She grew up as the daughter of the doctor Jan Strickland in Colorado . She attended Metropolitan State College in Denver , where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. She was an All-American swimmer and earned her pilot's license at the age of 16.

Junior and staff officer careers

Richardson was named a lieutenant in the United States Army Aviation Branch in 1986 . Richardson flew Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in the 128th Assault Helicopter Company. She was promoted to first lieutenant in 1988 and was then an administrative officer, executive officer and platoon leader in the 1st Battalion of the 501st Aviation Regiment. She moved to the 17th Aviation Brigade as an assistant in the logistics department in 1989 and served in South Korea before returning to the Human Resources Department of the 4th Battalion of the 501st Aviation Regiment in 1990. From September 1990 on, Richardson commanded the headquarters of the 4th Battalion from September 1990 until her promotion to captain in March 1991.

Richardson attended the Aviation Officer Advanced Course at Fort Rucker from 1991 to 1992 and was named company commander of the 1st Battalion of the 158th Aviation Regiment in July 1992. She later was a personnel officer for the 6th Cavalry Brigade at Fort Hood. From 1995 to 1996 she was a trainer in the Combat Command Training Program at Fort Leavenworth before spending a year as a student at Command and General Staff College . In March 1997, Richardson was promoted to major. She then became Operation Officer and then Executive Officer of the 9th Battalion of the 101st Aviation Regiment.

Richardson served as a military assistant to Vice President Al Gore from February 1999 to January 2001 . That year she was promoted to lieutenant colonel and became deputy chief of operations in the 101st Airborne Division. From July 2002 to May 2004, Richardson was in command of the 5th Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division and served with this unit in Operation Iraqi Freedom . During this time she was featured on the cover of Time magazine on March 24, 2003. She, her husband, and her daughter were the subject of a Nancy Gibbs story titled An American Family Goes to War . From 2004 to 2006, she was Army Campaign Planner for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans. In June 2007, she graduated from the Fort McNair Industrial College with a Master of Science degree .

General officer

Richardson, commanding general (CG) of FORSCOM (center), flanked by the outgoing and incoming CGs of the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

In July 2011, Richardson was promoted to brigadier general and appointed general commander of the Operation Test Command at Fort Hood. In 2013 she left her position to become Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications for the International Security Forces in Afghanistan. Richardson returned to the United States after a year and became major liaison officer to the United States Secretary of the Army .

In June 2017, Richardson was promoted to lieutenant general and deputy commander in chief of the United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). She replaced retired Lieutenant General Patrick J. Donahue II. She was appointed by FORSCOM commander, General Robert B. Abrams, who said the decision "took less than a second. It happened even though I had never worked with Richardson." Abrams also said, "I know her reputation. I've seen her work ... She's the right leader at just the right time." Her appointment was confirmed by the US Senate, making her the first woman to officially hold this position. Maj. Gen. Jody Daniels acted as deputy for the week leading up to Richardson's appointment. FORSCOM is the largest command in the U.S. Army, representing 770,000 soldiers and civilians, including 200,000 regular Army soldiers stationed in the United States, as well as the entire National Guard and Army Reserve. Abrams left FORSCOM in October 2018. Richardson was thereby named acting commander, making her the first woman to lead the organization. Announcing the appointment, Army Chief of Staff Mark A. Milley stated that Richardson is expected to serve in command for several months and is being considered for a permanent appointment. She continued to serve as the commanding commander until General Michael X. Garrett assumed command in March 2019.

Richardson, ARNORTH's upcoming director general, at a change of command ceremony at Fort Sam on July 8, 2019.

In April, Richardson was named the next (and first female) in command of the United States Army North. She took command on July 8, 2019.

Private life

Richardson is married to Lieutenant General James M. Richardson who is the deputy commanding officer for weapons development for the Army Futures Command. They have a daughter together.

Awards

	Combat Action Badge
	Senior Army Aviator Badge
	Air Assault Badge
	Basic Parachutist Badge
	Army Staff Identification Badge
	101st Airborne Division Combat Service Identification Badge
	Vice Presidential Service Badge
	101st Aviation Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
	4 overseas service bars

Web links

Commons : Laura J. Richardson  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Laura Jane Strickland Richardson. In: Experiencing War. Retrieved September 22, 2019 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b} U.S. Army North Public Affairs: US Army North conducts change of command July 8. In: Joint Base San Antonio. U.S. Army North Public Affairs, June 27, 2019, accessed September 22, 2019 . 
3. ↑ Kevin Simpson: New female brigadier general in Army occupies rare post. In: The Denver Post. March 28, 2012, accessed September 22, 2019 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Drew Brooks: Senate OKs First Female Army Officer To Become Forces Command Deputy. In: Task & Purpose. June 11, 2017, accessed September 22, 2019 . 
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Frocked Brigadier General Laura J. Richardson. In: United States Army. Retrieved September 22, 2019 . 
6. ↑ March 24, 2003 | Vol. 161 no. 12. In: TIME Magazine. March 24, 2003, accessed September 22, 2019 . 
7. ^ ^{A b} Nancy Gibbs: An American Family Goes To War. In: TIME Magazine. May 24, 2006, accessed on September 22, 2019 . 
8. ^ ^{A b} Rose L. Thayer: 'Team Richardson' leaves lasting mark on Fort Hood. In: Fort Hood Herald. May 21, 2014, accessed on September 22, 2019 . 
9. ^ Andrea Diaz: For the first time, a woman is leading the largest command in the US Army. In: CNN. October 17, 2018, accessed on September 22, 2019 . 
10. ↑ MILLEY FORMALLY NOMINATED AS JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN. In: United States Army. April 9, 2019, accessed on September 22, 2019 . 
11. ^ Richardson confirmed as Futures Command deputy commander. In: United States Army. September 5, 2018, accessed on September 22, 2019 . 
12. ^ Army Futures Command visits APG. In: APG NEWS. November 7, 2018, accessed September 22, 2019 . 
13. ↑ Major General Jim Richardson, Commanding General, AMCOM. In: United States Army. December 4, 2014, accessed September 22, 2019 . 
14. ↑ Joe Lacdan: Husband and wife, both three-star generals, share secrets to dual Family success. In: United States Army. August 28, 2019, accessed on September 22, 2019 .