President-elect Joe Biden has chosen former four-star officer Lloyd Austin to serve as the Secretary of Defense in the upcoming administration, outlets report.
Gen. Austin was the first Black general to command an Army division in combat and the first to oversee an entire theater of operations (U.S. Forces in Iraq). Austin ran U.S. Central Command before retiring in 2016.
Along with being confirmed by the Senate, Austin must obtain a waiver from both the Senate and the House from a law that bars retired military officers from becoming Defense secretary within seven years of leaving the service. If confirmed, he will be the third Secretary of Defense in history requiring the waiver.
“Throughout his lifetime of dedicated service — and in the many hours we’ve spent together in the White House Situation Room and with our troops overseas — General Austin has demonstrated exemplary leadership, character, and command,” said Biden in a statement.
“He is uniquely qualified to take on the challenges and crises we face in the current moment, and I look forward to once again working closely with him as a trusted partner to lead our military with dignity and resolve, revitalize our alliances in the face of global threats, and ensure the safety and security of the American people.”
Photo by Sgt. Caleb Barrieau
