Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of U.S. Central Command, updates reporters at the Pentagon about the military campaign against Islamic State militants in Iraq, on Oct. 17, 2014. J. Scott Applewhite/AP file photo
Biden Selects Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin for Defense Secretary, Reportedly
Austin, the last commander of the Iraq War, would be the nation's first Black defense secretary.
President-elect Joe Biden will announce that Lloyd Austin, retired four-star general who led the closing year of the Iraq War, will be his nominee for defense secretary, according to multiple news reports.
Before his retirement from the Army, Austin was commander of U.S. Central Command, the military’s geographic command for all almost U.S. troops from Syria to Afghanistan. Prior to that, the West Point graduate notably was the final commanding general of the Iraq War, presiding over Operation New Dawn from September 2010 to December 2011. Austin commanded troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Panama.
In Iraq and at CENTCOM in Tampa, Austin built a reputation as a solid-footed leader who bristled at the press, politics and public affairs.
Biden's selection was first reported by Politico. Michele Flournoy, former under secretary of defense for policy, was the presumed favorite for the post until recent weeks.