Lloyd Austin

Lloyd James Austin III is a retired United States Army four-star general and the 28th United States Secretary of Defense. Born on August 8, 1953, Austin has had an illustrious military career. He served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and the 33rd vice chief of staff of the Army. Austin was also the commander of United States Forces – Iraq. Notably, he was the first African American to hold these positions. After retiring from the military, Austin joined the boards of Raytheon Technologies, Nucor, Tenet Healthcare, and Auburn University. He was nominated for defense secretary by President-elect Joe Biden in December 2020 and confirmed by the United States Senate in January 2021.