The President of the United States, Joe Biden, appointed Lieutenant General Laura Richardson on Monday as head of the Confederate Command, making her the first woman to lead that unit responsible for the US Military Operations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
(Also: The United States grants temporary protected status to Venezuelans)
At an event at the White House on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Biden announced the appointment of two women to positions of four-star commanders: Richardson to Southern Command and General Jacqueline Van Ovost to lead Transportation Command.
If confirmed by the Senate, Richardson and Van Ovost would become only the second and third women to lead a commando fighter in US history, after retired General Lori Robinson, who led Northern Command between 2016 and 2018.
(Read here: Hillary Clinton Praises Colombia for Protecting Migrants)
“It’s hard to become something you can’t see,” Biden said at the event, underlining the importance of more women reaching leadership positions in the military.
“We need young children who grow up with dreams of serving their country to know that this is what generals look like in the United States Armed Forces. This is what US Vice Presidents look like,” he added. flanked by the vice president. Kamala Harris.
We need young girls and boys who grow up with the dream of serving their country
According to the newspaper The New York Times, the Pentagon gave the green light to Richardson and Van Ovost’s nominations months ago, but decided to wait until after the election because they feared the then president, Donald Trump will veto their appointments as women.
Richardson, 57, is currently the Commanding General of the North Formation of the United States Army, stationed at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, and is the first woman to hold that position.
If the Senate confirms it, the current three-star lieutenant general would receive a fourth, and would continue to lead the more than 1,200 military and civilians who make up Southern Command (Southcom), based in Doral, Florida.
Led by Admiral Craig Faller since 2018, the Southern Command has been in charge of U.S. operations in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, and in recent years has increased its military presence on the coasts of Latin America to support the combat drug trafficking.
Richardson has served in the US military for more than three decades, joining until 1986. His dream was to become a helicopter pilot, and he started training for it when he was 15 years old and women were still not allowed to operate fighter jets. .
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, pushed for gender equality on several occasions.
Already in the army, the now Lieutenant General flew Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and served two combat missions Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to serving as military adviser to former Vice President Al Gore (1993-2001) and transporting the nuclear suitcase.
In 2017, Richardson became the first female deputy commander of the military’s highest command, known as Forscom, who came to lead on an interim basis in late 2018.
The nominee to lead Southcom has been married for over 30 years to another three-star lieutenant general, James Richardson, whom she met during flight school and with whom she has a daughter and a granddaughter.
EFE
It may interest you
– The European Union warns with blocking more exports of vaccines
– Mexico: Controversy over candidate charged with rape, held at 8M
– A judge is delaying the start of George Floyd’s trial in the United States