Biden Chooses Retired General Lloyd Austin As Defense Secretary - Sources

: President-elect Joe Biden has chosen retired General Lloyd Austin, who oversaw U.S. forces in the Middle East under President Barack Obama, to be his defense secretary, two people familiar with the decision said on Monday.
Flournoy would have been the first woman defense secretary.
Austin, who retired in 2016, will need a waiver from Congress since it has been less than the required seven years since he served.
He would be the second Pentagon chief in four years to need a waiver, after President Donald Trump picked James Mattis, a retired Marine general, to be his first defense secretary.
Biden’s decision to nominate the first Black defense secretary in Austin helps him make good on his diversity promise.

Related Articles