Gen. Laura Richardson: Overseeing 31-nation region for US Southern Command

Gen. Laura J. Richardson is the first woman commander of the U.S. Southern Command and says she won’t be the last. From a very young age, her parents made her and three younger sisters do athletics, and she ended up being good at swimming. She earned All-America status in high school and college, an experience she now recognizes make her physically eligible for the military. 

In college, her parents started her in the Reserve Officer Training Corps, and she began flying lessons. “That was their way of keeping me busy and not allowing me to get distracted or get in trouble,” she recalled while laughing. 

Gen. Richardson said that when she first started swimming, Title Nine was a “big thing” and helped her. “If I had not had that, I don’t know that I would have the career that I’ve had, so that was really a big deal,” she said. 

Very early in her career, she married now Lt. Gen. Jim Richardson, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Futures Command in Austin, TX, whom she describes as her consistent mentor and competitive partner. With a smile, she says that many people told them they both couldn’t remain in the ranks and make it work, but they kept going and had successful careers while raising a daughter and most recently a 5-year-old granddaughter. 

“Coming up through the ranks, I always tried to do the best job I could. I never focused on what was next or where we were going next, I just tried to do the best I could in the job that I was in, and hope that the rest would take care of itself, and it usually did,” she said. 

That drive made her accomplish an extraordinary career. Prior to joining the Southern Command, Gen. Richardson served as commanding general of Army North (Fifth Army) at Fort Sam Houston, TX; as deputy commanding general of Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, NC; and chief of Army Legislative Liaison to Congress. 

Also, she was deputy chief of staff for communications at Headquarters International Security Assistance Force in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Kabul, Afghanistan; deputy commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, TX; and commanding general of the Army Operational Test Command at Fort Hood.

She previously commanded from the company to theater Army level; commanded an assault helicopter battalion in combat in the 101st Airborne Division and deployed her unit to Iraq. She has completed staff assignments, including military aide to the Vice President at the White House, the Army’s legislative liaison to Congress at the U.S. Capitol, and at the Pentagon as an Army campaign planner.

Now a four-star general, she leads the Southern Command and is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation within Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, except for U.S. commonwealths. The Southern Command is also responsible for protecting U.S. military resources at these locations and ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal. Since taking the reins in October last year she already visited eight countries in the region and will be visiting more in upcoming months. 

Gen. Laura Richardson spoke with Miami Today reporter Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow.

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