United States Senate confirms retired general Lloyd Austin as first black chief of Pentagon
- President Joe Biden chose a former officer he knew well from when he was vice-president in the administration of Barack Obama
- Biden called Austin ‘uniquely qualified to take on the challenges and crises we face in the current moment’ when announcing the nomination in December
The US Senate confirmed retired general Lloyd Austin as secretary of defence on Friday, the second cabinet nominee of new President Joe Biden to gain approval and the first African American to lead the Pentagon.
Austin sailed through with overwhelming support from both Biden’s Democrats and opposition Republicans, who voted 93-2 in his favour.
The retired four-star general will be the first African American to lead the department of defence, and takes on the job as the Pentagon sees the need for greater efforts to root out racism in the ranks and give more opportunities for leadership positions to minorities.
Biden picked Austin, and the Senate endorsed him, despite a law that says the US military must be led by a civilian or, if a former military official, someone who has been out of the service at least seven years.
The requirement is to ensure civilian control of the military,