For the first time in history, U.S. Army North Command has a female commander.
Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson took command during a change of command ceremony at Staff Post Field on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, July 8. Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, Commanding General, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, presided over the ceremony in which Lt. Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan relinquished command.
“We are excited for you to assume command and continue the legacy left before you,” Gen. O’Shaughnessy said of Lt. Gen. Richardson. “NORTHCOM stands ready to assist you and your team in every way and you are taking over an accomplished unit that is eager to respond to today’s security challenges. I know you are exactly the right person for the job.”
And this is just the latest "first" Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson has achieved.
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Before taking command of ARNORTH, in 2017 Richardson was the first female commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Before that, she was first female deputy commanding general of a maneuver division.
“As I take command today, there’s a long, storied lineage of Army North (Fifth Army),” Lt. Gen. Richardson said at the ceremony. “The Army North mission as the Army Service Component Command to USNORTHCOM carries numerous critically important responsibilities to our Nation’s security and I am ready for the challenges we’ll face with this great team before you.”
In her new role, Richardson will be commanding the more than 600 service members and 330 civilians that make up ARNORTH. The command conducts homeland defense, supports civil authorities, and cooperates with Canadian and Mexican militaries in order to protect the United States and its interests.
While Richardson has attributed her success to the support of her parents and her athletic career, during the ceremony she also took time to recognize the role that her family has played in her achievements. Richardson and her husband, Lt. Gen. James Richardson, are the only married three-star generals in the Army. They, with their daughter Lauren, have faced and overcome unique challenges as a result.
"I am here today because of my family and the great soldiers I have had the honor to serve with. I want to thank my husband, Jim, and my daughter, Lauren, for their support, encouragement, and patience over my 32 years in the Army. Without that support we would not have been able to sustain a dual military family for 31 years, and I am very grateful, and I love you," she said.
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