Lloyd Austin

Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is a retired United States Army four-star general who has served as the 28th and current United States secretary of defense since January 22, 2021.

Austin was born on August 8, 1953, in Mobile, Alabama; he was raised in Thomasville, Georgia.

He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1975.

While at the Academy, Austin played rugby and ran track.

In June 1975, Austin graduated from West Point and was commissioned in the Infantry as a second lieutenant.

He completed Airborne and Ranger schools prior to receiving his initial assignment in Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) as a rifle platoon leader and later as a scout platoon leader and company executive officer in 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry.

In 1981, Austin was assigned to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was the operations officer for the Army Indianapolis District Recruiting Command, and where he later commanded a company in the Army Recruiting Battalion.

Upon conclusion of this assignment, he attended Auburn University, where he completed studies for a Master's in education.

He then returned to the West Point as a company tactical officer.

Following this assignment and attendance at the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he commanded the Combat Support Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry and served as the Assistant S-3 (Operations) for 1st Brigade.

He later served as G-3 for the 82nd.

Following graduation from Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he returned to the 82nd Airborne Division for a third tour of duty there to command 3rd Brigade.

Shortly after brigade command, he served as Chief, Joint Operations Division, J-3, on the Joint Staff at The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

He later earned a Master of Arts degree in counselor education from Auburn University's College of Education in 1986, and a Master of Business Administration in business management from Webster University in 1989.

He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College.

In 1993, Austin returned to the 82nd Airborne Division where he commanded the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry.

His next assignment, in 2001, was as Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver (ADC-M), 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia.

As the ADC-M, he helped lead the division's invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Leading the fight from the front, Austin traveled the 500 miles from Kuwait to Baghdad in his command and control vehicle.

The division reached Baghdad and secured the city.

Austin was awarded a Silver Star, the nation's third highest award for valor, for his actions as commander during the invasion.

Austin served from September 2003 until August 2005 as Commanding General of 10th Mountain Division, with duty as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force 180, during the War in Afghanistan.

He was the first African American to serve as a U.S. Army division commander in combat.

He subsequently served as Chief of Staff of US Central Command at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida, from September 2005 until October 2006.

Commanding General of Multi-National Corps – Iraq

On December 8, 2006, Austin was promoted to Lieutenant General and assumed command of XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

In February 2008, Austin became the second highest ranking commander in Iraq, taking command of the Multi-National Corps – Iraq (MNC-I).

As commander of MNC-I, he directed the operations of approximately 152,000 joint and coalition forces across all sectors of Iraq.

He was the first African American general officer to lead a corps-sized element in combat.

Austin assumed the mission during the period when the Surge forces were drawing down.

After completion of the Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York, where he served as the S-3 (Operations) and later executive officer for the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry.

He subsequently served as Executive Officer for 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain, and later Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security for Fort Drum.

Commanding General of 10th Mtn Division (Light) and CJTF-180 – Afghanistan

Prior to that he served as the 33rd vice chief of staff of the Army from January 2012 to March 2013, and as commander of United States Forces – Iraq from September 2010 to December 2011.

He is the first African American to hold each of these positions.

After retiring from the armed services Austin joined the boards of Raytheon Technologies, Nucor, Tenet Healthcare, and Auburn University.

Before retiring from the military in 2016, Austin served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), beginning in March 2013.

On December 7, 2020, he was nominated for defense secretary by then-President-elect Joe Biden and was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 22, 2021, by a vote of 93–2.

Austin holds the unique distinction of having commanded in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan at the one-, two-, three- and four-star levels, and was the first African American to command a division, corps, and field army in combat.

He is a recipient of the Silver Star, the nation's third highest award for valor, for his actions during the Iraq invasion, as well as five Defense Distinguished Service Medals.