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Who is Lloyd Austin? America's first Black defense secretary describes himself as 'husband, father, patriot'

Austin is a practicing Catholic, like President Biden, and has been described as an 'intensely private' man by others. But how does he see himself?

The Senate voted on Friday, January 22, on President Joe Biden's pick for the Defense Secretary post. Lloyd Austin, 67, the retired four-star Army general is the next Pentagon chief, making him the first Black man to secure the post in America's history. Only GOP Senators Josh Hawley and Mike Lee voted against his confirmation. 

Soon after being confirmed, he used his personal Twitter account to say: "It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as our country’s 28th Secretary of Defense, and I’m especially proud to be the first African American to hold the position. Let’s get to work."

President Joe Biden had already zeroed in on Austin as his administration's Defense Secretary in December 2020. He had even written a glowing article about Austin in The Atlantic and why he was the best man for the job.

"In his more than 40 years in the United States Army, Austin met every challenge with extraordinary skill and profound personal decency. He is a true and tested soldier and leader. I’ve spent countless hours with him, in the field and in the White House Situation Room. I’ve sought his advice, seen his command, and admired his calm and his character. He is the definition of a patriot," Biden said in the article.

How did Lloyd Austin get hired after being retired for four years?

Before his official confirmation by the Senate, Austin had posted a brief video on his account on January 12 talking about the many "firsts" of his career as a Black American, from being the first African American Operations Officer for the 82nd Airborne Division to the first African American to command an infantry division in combat and then, subsequent to that, to command an Army corps in combat.

He was also the first African American to become the Vice-Chief of the Army and the CENTCOM (US Central Command) Commander. In the video, he says it shouldn't have taken so long for someone like him to achieve these milestones, but he said he was "enormously grateful for the service and the sacrifices of those who broke barriers before me—and although I may be the first African American Secretary of Defense, it’s my hope that I won’t be the last."

Austin's appointment has been possible because of the relaxation of the law that states that an officer must have left the service at least seven years before becoming secretary of defense. Austin has been a retired general for only four. However, Congress has granted him a waiver -- something that has happened before in the case of Secretary Jim Mattis. 

Like many retired generals, Austin has served on corporate boards. He is currently a member of the board of directors of Raytheon Technologies, a prominent U.S. defense contractor -- but said during his confirmation hearing he would recuse himself from defense matters involving Raytheon Technologies for four years.

There has also been concerns about Austin only functioning within the parameters set by the White House rather than offering independent but useful inputs. He was also criticized by Senator McCain for his meek response to ISIS because of the Obama administration's reluctance to get involved in the war. "Basically general, what you’re telling us is everything if fine as we see hundreds of thousands of refugees leave and flood Europe as we’re seeing now – 250,000 Syrians slaughtered," McCain had said to Austin after the USCENTCOM Commander said he would not recommend a "buffer zone" to allow the Syrian refuges to escape to, as it would require U.S. forces. 

How does Lloyd Austin like to describe himself? 

Austin's new Twitter tagline reads "Husband, father, patriot, Auburn and Army football fan. 28th Secretary of Defense." Twitter handle @AuburnFootball tweeted out its congratulations saying: "A massive congratulations to Auburn graduate Gen. Lloyd Austin on being confirmed as the nation's next Secretary of Defence." Austin graduated from the United States Military Academy (West Point) with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1975.

A practicing Catholic, like Biden, Austin has been described as an "intensely private" man by others. He reportedly hated speaking to the media when he was in Iraq and has a habit of "referring to himself in the third person". Austin has been married to Charlene Denise Banner Austin for over 40 years.

Charlene Austin has been as active as her husband. She is the national advisor for the Military Child Education Coalition. She is also a board member for the Military Family Research Institute of Purdue University and serves on the Board of Governance for United Way Suncoast based in Tampa, Florida, and the Advisory Committee for the United Way Suncoast-Mission United Project. She has been recognized for her work in public service and was awarded in 2013 the Secretary of the Army Public Service Award for her contributions to the community. While the two don't have children together, Llyod Austin is reportedly father to two stepsons.