Lloyd Austin Confirmed As Defense Secretary, Becomes 1st Black Pentagon Chief

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin was confirmed as the next secretary of defense. He is seen above speaking after being nominated by then-President-elect Joe Biden last month.

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Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star Army general, has been confirmed by the Senate, making him the first Black defense secretary in U.S. history.

The Senate approved President Biden’s nomination for Pentagon chief in a near-unanimous 93-2 vote Friday.

Austin’s nomination was approved despite concerns raised on both sides of the aisle that he hadn’t been out of uniform for the legally mandated seven-year period.