Women in military leadership from the United States and Jamaica came together during a historic visit to the island last week, when US Army General Laura Richardson, head of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), arrived to take part in three days of high level meetings focused on the Americans’ longstanding bilateral defence ties with the Caribbean nation.

Richardson, the first woman to lead SOUTHCOM, arrived in the island on January 20 and attended the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Change-of-Command ceremony Friday night (January 21) where Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman became the first woman to assume duties as the island’s chief of defence staff.

On Saturday, Wemyss Gorman and Richardson met at JDF Headquarters to discuss the ever-growing partnership between their organisations, shared security cooperation interests, and threats and challenges of mutual concern.

Richardson also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang to discuss security cooperation opportunities in support of cyber engagements, local security, and combatting illicit trafficking.

The SOUTHCOM commander kicked off her trip Thursday at the US Embassy, meeting senior embassy officials including Chargé d’Affaires Linnisa Wahid to reinforce the US whole-of-government approach to supporting the US-Jamaica security partnership.

On the historic visit, Richardson was also joined by US Air Force Major General Sherrie McCandless, who also made history in 2021 as the first woman to assume commanding general duties of the Washington, D.C. National Guard.

The US capital city’s National Guard has a state partnership with Jamaica established more than two decades ago.

This was Richardson’s first visit to a Caribbean nation as the SOUTHCOM Commander.