The US Senate confirmed retired general Lloyd Austin as secretary of defense 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 Defense, 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 for at least seven years.
The requirement is to ensure civilian control of the military,
That meant both houses of Congress had to grant a waiver for Austin, who retired in 2016.
Biden chose a former officer he knew well from when he was vice president in the administration of Barack Obama.
Austin, a West Point graduate who served four decades in the military, was commander of US forces in Iraq and then head of the US Central Command covering the Middle East, from 2010 to 2016.
The two bonded because Austin was friendly with Biden’s late son when both were serving in Iraq.
Biden called him “uniquely qualified to take on the challenges and crises we face in the current moment” when announcing the nomination in December.
Austin, known to be media-shy and not particularly politically savvy, tweeted a statement quickly after gaining Senate approval.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as our country’s 28th Secretary of Defense, and I’m especially proud to be the first African American to hold the position.
“Let’s get to work,” he wrote.
