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The president-elect of the United States of America, Joe Biden, confirmed on Wednesday the election of African-American general Lloyd Austin as the next Secretary of Defense, a nomination he considered “necessary” and “historic.”
If confirmed by the Senate, Lloyd Austin, 67, will be the first African-American to head the Pentagon, an institution where minorities are heavily represented at the base, but little at the top.
The retired army general, who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan before becoming the first non-Caucasian to head the United States Army Central Command, “is uniquely qualified to deal with the challenges and crises we face today,” he wrote. President. elected Democrat in a statement.
“General Austin shares my firm belief that our country is stronger when he leads not only by the example of our power, but also by the power of our example,” added Biden.
According to the statement, Austin is “a brilliant and respected leader and a pioneering figure in American military history,” having retired from the military in 2016 after more than 40 years of service in the defense of the United States.
A source close to the transition team quoted by CNN said the two men “forged personal ties” through Biden’s son Beau, who died of cancer in 2015 after fighting in Iraq under General Austin.
Beau Biden and Lloyd Austin became friends, the source told CNN. “They went to mass together and sat next to each other almost every Sunday.”
General Austin, a graduate of the prestigious West Point Military Academy, had entered the defense industry like many of his predecessors, serving on the board of Raytheon Technologies.
Despite the resume, his confirmation by the Senate is not a fact and, since the first news in the press about his possible appointment, some people have lamented the choice of a recently retired ex-soldier to oversee the United States Army.
The United States Congress, which insists on civilian control over the army, adopted a regulation that stipulates that a former military man must have been retired for more than seven years to assume the defense portfolio.
Since this deadline will not be met with Lloyd Austin, the Senate will have to grant him a resignation, something that was done in 2016 by former Navy General Jim Mattis, but under protest.
Among those who voted against the resignation were several prominent names in the Democratic Party, including former Democratic primary candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker.
Several Democratic senators have already announced that they will oppose the resignation, including influential Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal and Virginia Congressman Tim Kaine.
In an editorial published today by The Atlantic magazine under the title “An Experienced, Necessary and Historic Defense Minister,” Joe Biden tried to defuse the controversy.
“I respect and believe in the importance of civilian control over our military, but I hope that Congress will discharge Secretary-designate Lloyd Austin, just as it did Jim Mattis,” wrote Joe Biden.
“Given the immense and urgent threats facing our country, it must be confirmed quickly,” he added.
Joe Biden, 78, and his future Vice President Kamala Harris, 56, the first woman and the first African-American to take office, promised a government that “looks like America” in all its diversity.
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