President Joe Biden promised his administration would break barriers and be the most diverse the country has seen. Just days after his inauguration, the president has nominated all of his cabinet positions. There’s still time before his entire cabinet is confirmed, but the senate almost unanimously agreed on one of the president’s top national security officials.
The senate confirmed retired Army general Lloyd Austin III on Jan. 19, in an overwhelming 93-2 vote. Austin will be the first black person to lead the Pentagon,
“It’s an honor and privilege to serve as our country’s 28th Secretary of Defense,” Austin said in a statement on Twitter. “and I’m especially proud to be the first African American to hold the position.”
Austin retired a four-star general, after serving in the Army for more than 40 years. He graduated from West Point in 1975 and has earned the title of many firsts during his career, being a black man in top military positions.
Austin was the first African American general to command a war zone in Iraq, the first to command the U.S. Central Command, and the first vice chief of staff for the Army.
He and President Biden have a relationship spanning back to the Obama Administration. Biden said Austin was the “definition of a patriot.”
“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,” President Biden wrote in an essay to the Atlantic back in December.
President Biden said the 67-year-old has “intimate knowledge of the Department of Defense”, a sign his administration plans to rewrite military policies passed under the Trump administration.
Reports say a confirmed national security team is a priority for the administration, amid foreign threats, and the coronavirus pandemic.
