Lloyd Austin
Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is an American retired four-star general. He is the 28th and current United States Secretary of Defense since 2021. He was an Army officer and was the 12th commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Austin was the first Black commander of CENTCOM.[1]
Lloyd Austin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 28th United States Secretary of Defense | |
| Assumed office January 22, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Kathleen Hicks |
| Preceded by | Mark Esper |
| Commander of United States Central Command | |
| In office March 22, 2013 – March 30, 2016 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Jim Mattis |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Votel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lloyd James Austin III August 8, 1953 Mobile, Alabama, U.S. |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) Auburn University (MA) Webster University (MBA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1975–2016 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | Global War on Terrorism |
| Awards | |
On December 7, 2020, Austin was nominated by President-elect Joe Biden to be Secretary of Defense.[2] His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 22, 2021 which made him the first Black Secretary of Defense in American history.[3]
In early January 2024, Austin was hospitalized in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after having surgery.[4] The surgery was kept private and was made public a few days later to much controversy.[5] On January 9, 2024, it was revealed that Austin had surgery to treat prostate cancer and had a urinary tract infection.[6]
Lloyd Austin Media
Colonel Lloyd Austin in 1998
Brigadier General Lloyd Austin converse with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
Austin during the Iraq War on September 11, 2007
End of mission ceremony DVIDS500735
POTUS visits Macdill AFB 140917-F-ML202-009
General Lloyd Austin with Lieutenant General Charles Q. Brown Jr. during the Air Forces Central Command change of command ceremony at Shaw Air Force Base, June 29, 2015.
Gen. Lloyd James Austin, III, Commander, United States Army Central Command, poses for a portrait in the Army portrait studio at the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, Apr 4, 2016. (U.S. Army photo by Monica King/Released)
210122-D-BN624-0122 (50863215143)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin with U.S. President Joe Biden at The Pentagon on February 10, 2021.
Austin with Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto in Manama, Bahrain on November 20, 2021
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References
- ↑ MacAskill, Ewen (March 22, 2013) (in en). General Lloyd Austin picked for top job at US Central Command. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/22/general-lloyd-austin-central-command. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Cooper, Helene; Martin, Jonathan (2020-12-08). "Biden Plans to Tap Lloyd Austin, Former Iraq Commander, as Defense Secretary" (in en-US). The New York Times. . https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/us/politics/lloyd-austin-biden-defense-secretary.html. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
- ↑ O’brien, Connor. "Austin confirmed as first Black defense secretary". POLITICO. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
- ↑ "White House's NSC didn't know of Austin's hospitalization for 3 days". Politico. January 6, 2024.
- ↑ "Pentagon keeps Austin's hospitalization under wraps for days". Reuters. January 5, 2024.
- ↑ "Lloyd Austin: Pentagon reveals US Defence Secretary had prostate cancer surgery". BBC. January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
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