Laura J. Richardson

The daughter of Suzanne (Allen) Strickland, a teacher and Darwin Jan Strickland, a physician, Richardson grew up in Northglenn, Colorado, where she attended public schools and graduated from Northglenn High School in 1982. 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. Richardson was commissioned via the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps program in 1986. ==Junior and field officer career==

Richardson was commissioned into the United States Army Aviation Branch in 1986 as a second lieutenant. She, her husband, and their daughter were the subjects of a story by Nancy Gibbs entitled "An American Family Goes to War", in which they were described as "...the first husband and wife battalion commanders in the new married-with-children military". She was Army campaign planner with the deputy chief of staff for operations and plans from 2004 to 2006. In 2007, she was awarded a Master of Science degree from the National Defense University's Industrial College of the Armed Forces (now the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy) at Fort McNair. Promoted to colonel, she was commander of the Army garrison at Fort Myer until October 2009 when she was assigned as chief of the United States Senate liaison division for the Secretary of the Army. ==General officer==

(center), flanked by the outgoing and incoming CGs of 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, review the troops at a change of command ceremony, Fort Bliss, November 2018 In July 2011, Richardson was promoted to brigadier general and appointed commanding general of the Operational Test Command at Fort Hood. Richardson returned to the United States after a year and became chief legislative liaison to the Office of the Secretary of the Army as a major general. In announcing the appointment, Army Chief of Staff Mark Milley indicated that Richardson could expect to be the acting commander for several months, and was being considered for permanent assignment to the post. Commander of U.S. Army North In April, Richardson was nominated to be the first female commander of United States Army North. She assumed command of ARNORTH/5th Army on 8 July 2019. During Richardson's tenure, ARNORTH supported the Operation Allies Welcome Afghan evacuee mission. ARNORTH also participated in the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as natural disaster relief including wildland firefighting operations in Northern California. Commander of U.S. Southern Command General James C. McConville at her promotion ceremony, 18 October 2021 On 6 March 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that President Biden nominated Richardson to become commander of the United States Southern Command. Her nomination was sent to the Senate on 5 March 2021, with hearings held on 3 August 2021. Richardson was originally going to be recommended by then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, but they delayed until after the 2020 United States presidential election over concern that then-President Donald Trump might react negatively to the nomination of a woman to a top command. on 29 October 2021 At her nomination hearing, Richardson stated her commitment to strengthening SOUTHCOM's approach to security cooperation and ensuring the United States remained the partner of choice in the region, as well as ensuring SOUTHCOM played its part in supporting the "whole-of-government" effort to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to partner nations. She added that she would focus on expanding the command's security cooperation efforts and multilateral exercises, prioritize international military education and training exchanges, and continue to work with Congress and the Department of Defense to increase interoperability levels and global integration. She was confirmed by unanimous voice vote on 11 August 2021. Richardson relinquished command of ARNORTH to John R. Evans Jr. on 9 September 2021. She received her fourth star as the third woman to lead a combatant command, with the promotion ceremony held on 18 October 2021. Her four-star rank was pinned by the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General James C. McConville and her husband, Lieutenant General James M. Richardson. The change of command ceremony took place on 29 October 2021, with her predecessor, Admiral Craig S. Faller, retiring after 38 years service. At the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, on 20 July 2022, Richardson spoke about a "South blindness" and described the importance of the 31 nations that make up her command: ==Personal life ==

Richardson is married to retired Lieutenant General James M. Richardson, who was deputy commander for combat development at the Army Futures Command. They have one daughter. ==Awards and decorations==

As listed by U.S. Army datasheet: == References ==