JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
The commander of United States Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command got an inside look at the operations of U.S. Army North during a Feb. 2 visit to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Camp Bullis.
Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson spent the day meeting Soldiers and Department of the Army civilians and learning about their missions – all the while introducing herself to Army North.
Following an early-morning meeting with Army North commander Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, Robinson toured the offices of several units, spoke to the troops during an all hands town hall meeting at the Fort Sam Houston Theatre and visited the 505th Military Intelligence Brigade at JBSA-Camp Bullis, before traveling back to Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Robinson visited the Army North offices of Civil Support Training Activity and Task Force 51 on JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, where she thanked dozens of Soldiers for their service.
“I will say this – and I’ve said this to many audiences – I am an unabashed airman. I’m proud – just like you’re proud to be a Soldier,” Robinson said during the town hall. “I’m an unabashed airman. And you know what? I do realize that I’m a part of the joint fight. I can’t do it by myself as an airman. I’m part of a coalition fight. We can’t do it as a nation by ourselves.
“All of us, and it doesn’t matter what service you’re in, we’re all parts of the bigger than ourselves, and I think that’s really a huge thing for all of us to understand.”
USNORTHCOM partners to connect homeland defense, civil support and security cooperation to defend and secure the United States and its interests.
Robinson said NORTHCOM’s No. 1 priority is to deter and counter our nation’s state threats and enhance command’s ability to defend.
“Obviously, for all of us, no matter what role you play, homeland defense is the No. 1 priority. Deter if we can, and counter if we must,” she said. “Defense of the homeland is what you do each and every day.
“I was really excited to see what I saw today. In the relationship between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and NORTHCOM and Army North, you’re already being talked about in circles that you don’t even know. What you do each and every day is huge.”
Robinson said she embraces the challenge of bridging cultures and uniting many to fight as one.
“It’s been just a blast to be a part of a joint team,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun to learn a lot about cultures. In fact, Gen. Buchanan and I were talking about a couple of things today just to understand cultures. For me, it’s that personal touch, it’s that understanding of what happens not just organizationally, but personally, because without you, no matter what you do, an organization is not going to run.”
Robinson, a daughter and wife of Air Force Academy-trained pilots, shared her personal importance of family with Soldiers and stressed how important family support is to everyone in the auditorium – regardless of the color of their uniform.
“At the end of the day, you’re the ones that are making it all happen, and your families are the ones that are supporting you in doing that.”