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Who is Lloyd Austin? Joe Biden's defense secy pick will be first Black person to lead Pentagon if confirmed

President-elect Joe Biden and retired general Lloyd Austin got to come closer in work during the Barack Obama administration’s Iraq drawdown
PUBLISHED DEC 8, 2020
Joe Biden and Lloyd Austin (Getty Images)
Joe Biden and Lloyd Austin (Getty Images)

President-elect Joe Biden has focused on choosing his new team to take over from the Donald Trump administration next month and his picks so far have generated quite a bit of curiosity. The former vice president has now selected Gen. Lloyd Austin to become his secretary of defense, Politico reported on Monday, December 7. If confirmed, Austin, a retired general, will become the first Black person to lead the Pentagon. 

Christopher Miller is the current acting secretary of state who replaced Mark Esper last month after he was sacked by President Trump on charges of not being loyal enough. “In picking Austin, Biden has chosen a barrier-breaking former four-star officer who was the first Black general to command an Army division in combat and the first to oversee an entire theater of operations. Austin’s announcement could come as soon as Tuesday morning, people familiar with the plans said Monday,” the Politico report said. It was reported that Biden offered Austin the job on Sunday and he accepted it the same day.

Last month, it was speculated that Michele Flournoy, a politically moderate veteran from the Pentagon, was leading the race to become the defense secretary -- the first woman to become so. The former under-secretary of defense for policy who worked under the former Barack Obama administration could have made history had Hillary Clinton won in 2016. However, she was known for having a history of disagreements with Biden and a few weeks ago, Flournoy’s name was found to be missing from Biden’s rollout of key members of his national security team. In late November, Axios cited two informed sources to report that Biden considered Austin as his nominee to the Pentagon, adding him to a shortlist that included names like Jeh Johnson and Tammy Duckworth besides Flournoy. 

Biden under pressure to pick a Black defense secretary

However, the reason for Flournoy missing out eventually could be the growing pressure on Biden from the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to select a Black defense secretary. Like in case of some other top administrative posts where the president-elect is facing a similar pressure, the CBC has been trying hard to ensure that African-Americans be “seriously considered” for jobs related to national security, one Democratic Party member told Politico. Biden also had considered former homeland security secretary Johnson (2013-17) for the plum post, informed sources said but eventually, it is the 67-year-old Austin who made the cut. It was said that concerns about Johnson’s tenure in the Obama administration bettered Austin’s prospects among the CBC members in recent times, as per two persons, including a House Democratic aide.

Former homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson (Getty Images)

Johnson has faced a backlash for his record on expanding family detention and quickening deportations besides approving hundreds of drone strikes against suspected terrorists. Bennie Thompson, a Democratic lawmaker from Mississippi and a CBC member who is known to be close to Biden, told Politico on Monday: “General Austin is a southerner, has impeccable credentials given his military career and would be an outstanding secretary for the department.”

Who is Lloyd Austin?

Austin, who is respected across the military and liked by Biden, worked with the former vice president when he had a big foreign policy portfolio. Born in Mobile, Alabama, in August 1953, Austin served as the first Black commander (and 12th overall) of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) between March 2013 and 2016. Before that, he was the 33rd vice chief of staff of the US Army (January 2012-March 2013). Prior to that, he was the final commanding general of the United States Forces -- Iraq Operation New Dawn (September 2010 to December 2011).

After his retirement in 2016, Austin joined the board of Raytheon Technologies, a military contractor, and in 2017, he was appointed to the board of directors at Nucor. In 2018, he was appointed as an independent director on the board of Tenet Healthcare. He also runs his own consulting firm -- Austin Strategy Group, LLC in Great Falls, Virginia. 

Austin graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He also earned a Master’s of Arts degree in counselor education from Auburn University’s College of Education in 1986 and a Master of Business Administration in business management three years later, from Webster University. He is also a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, the US Army Command and General Staff College, and the US Army War College.

Biden and Austin got to come closer in work during the Obama administration’s Iraq drawdown. Biden led the administration’s Iraq policy while Austin was in charge of the American forces in the Middle Eastern nation. However, even though the president-elect considers Autin to be crisis-tested, his nomination is likely to face challenges on Capitol Hill. Austin is yet to complete seven years after exiting the military and would need a waiver from the Congress to become the defense secretary. There could also be resistance to his confirmation from lawmakers who might feel wary about making yet another retired general the chief of the Pentagon just four years after Trump backed James Mattis as his first defense secretary. For some national security experts, Austin’s confirmation could also affect the civil-military power in the Pentagon.

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