Washington DC - The President-elect of the United States (U.S.), Joe Biden, appointed retired Gen. Lloyd Austin who oversaw the U.S. military in the Middle East during the Barack Obama era, to be Secretary of Defense (Menhan) for his cabinet later. Austin will become the first black U.S. Secretary of State if his appointment is approved by the U.S. Congress.
As reported by Reuters and AFP on Tuesday (8122020), Austin's appointment was a little surprising because michelle flournoy was previously a candidate to occupy the post. Flournoy, who once served as U.S. Secretary of State, would be the first woman to serve as Secretary of State if appointed by Biden.
Information about Biden's decision to appoint Austin to U.S. Secretary of State was first reported by Politico. Other prominent U.S. media outlets, such as CNN and the New York Times, which cited sources who understand the decision, said Biden had made the decision on Monday (712) local time and would officially announce it on friday (1112).
Austin's appointment as Secretary of State requires the approval of the U.S. Congress, especially the Senate.
Austin (67), a retired four-star general, is known as a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. He once led U.S. forces on a mission in Baghdad in 2003 and was once the Head of U.S. Central Command.
It also says that Austin served in the U.S. military for four decades. He graduated from West Point Military Academy and began a career with a variety of tasks, from leading platoons to managing logistics groups and overseeing recruitment, before eventually having a senior job at the Pentagon.
In March 2003, Austin served as assistant division commander of the 3rd Infantry Division when U.S. forces moved from Kuwait to Baghdad, in the U.S. invasion of Iraq. From late 2003 to 2005, Austin served in Afghanistan as leader of the 180th Joint Task Force -- a U.S.-led operation aimed at stabilizing the security situation in the country.
In 2010, Austin was appointed commander-in-chief of U.S. forces in Iraq, and two years later became U.S. Central Commander -- responsible for all Pentagon operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Austin retired from the military in 2016, and joined the Board of Directors of Raytheon Technologies, one of the Pentagon's largest contractors.
He needs special approval from the U.S. Senate because federal law requires every military official to wait 7 years after retiring before serving as U.S. Secretary of State. A similar situation occurred when President Donald Trump appointed former Gen. Jim Mattis to be U.S. Secretary of State some time ago.
0 Response to "Biden Appoints Retired General to Be First Black U.S. Secretary of State"
Post a Comment