General lloyd austin biography of donald

American general (born 1953)

For other people with the same name, see Lloyd Austin (disambiguation).

Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is a retired United States Army four-star general who served as the 28th United States secretary of defense from 2021 to 2025.

Before retiring from the military in 2016, Austin served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), beginning in March 2013. 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. On December 7, 2020, he was nominated for defense secretary by then-President-electJoe Biden and was confirmed

Who be Gen Austin?

Lloyd James Austin III, a former four-star general with a long career in the US military, became the first African American secretary of defense when the US Senate confirmed his appointment by a vote of 93 to 2 on January 22, 2021. 

Austin was born in Mobile, Alabama, on August 8, 1953, and raised in Thomasville, Georgia. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1975. He was commissioned in the 3rd Infantry Division as a second lieutenant in Germany. Throughout his long military career, Austin served in a variety of assignments, including as Assistant Division Commander for the 3rd Infantry Division and Commanding General for the 10th Mountain Division.

In between his postings, Austin received a master's degree in counselor education from Auburn University in 1986 and a master's in business administration from Webster University in 1989.

He joined the staff at the Pentagon in 1999 and was eventually appointed as the Assistant Division Commander for Manoeuvre, 3rd Infantry Division, where he helped lead the division’s invasion of Iraq in 2003. He was later awarded a Silver Star for his efforts during the invasion. Austin became Commanding General of the 18th Airborne Corps, and during 2008, he was the second highest-ranking commander in Iraq when he commanded the multi-national corps which directed 150,000 joint and coalition forces deployed in Iraq. After serving as the Commanding General of all US forces in Iraq until 2012, Austin became the Army Vice Chief of Staff. That year, President Obama nominated him to become the Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), where he oversaw all major US military operations in the Middle East and Central and South Asia. 

In 2016, Austin retired from military service and entered the private sector as a board director of Raytheon Technologies and Tenet Healthcare. He also became a partner at Pine Island Capital, an investment c

In late August of 2010, I traveled to Iraq for the fifth time as vice president. While there, I participated in the change-of-command ceremony for United States Forces–Iraq. President Barack Obama had charged me with overseeing the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and we were committed to ensuring the orderly withdrawal of our forces and equipment from Iraq. Standing in the garish al-Faw palace, once home to Saddam Hussein but by then part of Camp Victory, I watched as General Lloyd Austin assumed leadership of a national-security priority on behalf of the president of the United States of America.

Just over a year later, in December 2011, I returned to al-Faw palace, joining Austin in a ceremony honoring American and Iraqi service members as our forces left the country.

General Austin got the job done. He played a crucial role in bringing 150,000 American troops home from the theater of war. Pulling that off took more than just the skill and strategy of a seasoned soldier. It required Austin to practice diplomacy, building relationships with our Iraqi counterparts and with our partners in the region. He served as a statesman, representing our country with honor and dignity and always, above all, looking out for his people.

Today, I ask Lloyd Austin to once more take on a mission for the United States of America—this time as the secretary-designate of the Department of Defense. I know he will do an outstanding job.

Ryan Crocker: The world won’t organize itself

In his more than 40 years in the United States Army, Austin met every challenge with extraordinary skill and profound personal decency. He is a true and tested soldier and leader. I’ve spent countless hours with him, in the field and in the White House Situation Room. I’ve sought his advice, seen his command, and admired his calm and his character. He is the definition of a patriot. He rose through the Army’s ranks during his distinguished and trailblazi