She grew up on a straight and narrow path, the eldest of four siblings reared on competition, mental discipline and fitness in a Northglenn home teeming with athletic facilities, motivational slogans and high expectations.

Groomed by success, she gravitated to the military.

And still, when the Army promoted 48-year-old Laura Richardson to brigadier general earlier this month, making her one of only 29 women among 390 general officers, she professed surprise.

"I know a lot of people say you made it through the eye of a needle if you make it through the general-officer ranks," Richardson said. "I never aspired to be a certain rank at all in my military career."

Richardson not only has risen to rare heights in rank, but she also soon will become the Army's first female deputy division commander when she takes over for her husband, Brig. Gen. Jim Richardson, with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas — one of the branch's most-powerful and storied units.

When the assignment becomes official, probably early this summer, she will be one of three deputy commanders under the commanding general of a heavily mechanized division that includes everything from infantry to tanks to aviation.

A search of the Army archives confirmed that Richardson will be the first woman to serve in that role, said spokeswoman Eloise Lundgren, noting that the move comes as the military reassesses the role of women in combat amid "asymmetrical" wars that have no distinguishable battle lines.

Richardson's father, Dr. Jan Strickland, and her mother, Suzanne, replaced her former colonel's rank with the single star on each shoulder in the promotion ceremony at Fort Hood.

"I always thought she'd do extremely well in the military," said her father, a family-practice physician, "but I never dreamed she'd obtain the status she has. I attribute a tremendous amount of this to my wife because Suzanne was always strong about work ethic, integrity and doing what is right."

 

Brig. Gen. Laura Richardson will be the Army's first female deputy division commander.

The work ethic grew out of the Stricklands' belief that structure would serve their kids well, especially in the tumultuous '60s and '70s. Having bought the lots adjacent to their home, they abandoned the original plan of building rental properties and instead installed tennis courts, a basketball court, a rubberized running track and an indoor lap pool.

The kids embarked on a training regimen that, coupled with strict attention to their studies, gave them little time to find trouble. They all left lasting marks at Northglenn High School, where Laura became an All-America swimmer.

She has been lifting weights since she was 6 and did 10 sets of 30 chin-ups virtually each day from the bar affixed to her bedroom door. By the time she turned 12, Nautilus exercise equipment was added to her swimming and running routine — all augmented by the inescapable motivational signs that greeted her everywhere, including the reminder on the bathroom door: "A winner never quits — a quitter never wins."

"My father, in terms of athletics and things like that, gave us different tools that you can put in your kit bag to make you better," said Richardson. "It's a holistic approach, a mental approach. And my stress cap was very much higher than other folks'."

At 16, she earned her civilian pilot's license. And after excelling in the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Metropolitan State College, a military career seemed a natural progression.

Her assignments have included serving as military aide to Vice President Al Gore — one she describes as the most demanding — and liaison to the U.S. Senate. But she found a particular niche as a leader in the field.

"The command thing, being able to lead America's sons and daughters, to teach and train them, go to combat with them, is by far the most rewarding position I've had," she said. "If you'd asked me at ROTC at Metro State if I'd ever be a commander in combat, flying helicopters, or the vice president's military aide, I never would have believed that."

In 2003, Richardson and two of her siblings — plus her husband — all found themselves stationed in the Persian Gulf at the same time. In Iraq, she commanded an assault helicopter battalion with the 101st Airborne Division and sometimes flew missions in concert with her husband's Apache attack battalion.

"It was a good feeling," she said. "Although there was healthy competition between the units, there was also a good respect. His unit was the best attack unit, and I considered ours the best lift unit. Everybody wanted to do the right thing, do good and then go home with everybody."

Meanwhile, the Richardsons' daughter, Lauren, lived with the Stricklands and attended Northglenn High, where she felt her mom's comforting presence in old photos commemorating her athletic glory.

At the promotion ceremony a few weeks ago, Lauren replaced her mother's rank insignia on her beret. She homes in on one particular trait that sets her apart.

"She cares," said Lauren, now 23 and working for a defense contractor in Virginia. "Every word that comes out of her mouth, she cares about it. That's what I love. Everything she does, she cares for it."

While awaiting her new assignment at Fort Hood, Richardson continues to train in Virginia, where she also appeared in an event at the U.S. Army Women's Museum at Fort Lee.

"People ask, 'Did you always want to be general?'" Richardson said. "No. You've got to focus on the job you're in currently and not worry about what's next. My advice is to focus on here and now, and what's next will take care of itself."