BG Richardson, DCG 1CD: Good for the Army, good for women in the Army

As we've been talking of late about women and their role in the military, I would be remiss if I didn't mention BG Laura Richardson's nomination as the Deputy Commanding General for the 1st Cavalry Division. She is the first female general officer to be nominated as a division DCG. As I've mentioned before, aviation branch will lead the way in providing an avenue for women into the highest ranks of the Army. BG Richardson is proving that assumption correct. As her bio notes, she was a UH-60 driver and held a number of command and staff positions with aviation battalions, including command of 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. Frankly, I thought it would take a little longer for a move like this to occur, but here we are. She has also held a number of positions in her career that portend that, while division command is unlikely (she did not command a brigade - but I may be wrong here), she will continue to rise within the Army: military aide to the Vice President, assignment to HQDA G-3/5/7, command of the garrison at Forts Myer and McNair, and Army Liaison Officer to the Senate. This is the kind of career track that GEN Petraeus would love and is the kind of background the Army will be looking for in the coming years. And I don't want to hear that this is all about her being a woman - really read her bio. I wish most of the DCGs I've met had this kind of experience.

Congratulations to BG Richardson for breaking this very important barrier in the Army and for doing so based on a track record of excellence. I wish her all the best in this new and challenging endeavor.