The Tablet January 21, 2021
Biden’s Defense Secretary Pick an Accomplished Commander, Devout Catholic
WINDSOR TERRACE The U.S. Senate has confirmed retired Army general Lloyd Austin to be the first African American secretary of defense.
The Senate voted 93-2 Friday morning, Jan. 22, clearing the way for Austin, President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Defense.
Austin, a devout Catholic from South Georgia, has achieved numerous “firsts” in his more than four decades serving his nation as an Army officer. He is, for example, the first African American to command the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) which is how President Biden, then serving as vice president, came to know the general.