Lloyd Austin (Lloyd Austin)

Lloyd Austin (Lloyd Austin)

Biography

2021: Appointment as the Pentagon chief

At the end of January, 2021 the US general in resignation Lloyd Austin became the first Afro-American who headed the Pentagon. The senate confirmed Austin appointment, 93 senators, against — two voted for his candidate.

For me a great honor and privilege to be the 28th Minister of Defence of our country, and I especially am proud of the fact that I am the first Afro-American who held this position, - Austin after confirmation of the Senate told. - Let's get to work.

Austin is 67 years old, it has a rank of the four-star general and resigned in 2016. Austin served in Germany and in many points of the USA, worked in Joint Chiefs of Staff, ordered a division and by 2006 served to the lieutenant general. In 2010 Austin became the commander of forces of the USA in Iraq and was responsible for gradual withdrawal of troops from the country. In December, 2011 he was appointed the deputy commander of the headquarters of ground forces, and in 2013-2016 directed the Central command of the U.S. Armed Forces. In this quality it played a key role in development of strategy of Washington on fight against Islamic State. After resignation Austin held a post in Board of Directors of the largest arms manufacturer of Raytheon.

On December 9, 2020 the elected president Joe Biden appointed the retired general Lloyd J. of Austin III the Minister of Defence. Now Austin is faced by a task to accelerate and expand participation of the Ministry of Defence in distribution of the vaccines against a coronavirus. It also should recover the unions which were terminated during Donald Trump's presidency, to deal with the budget of the Pentagon which should compete with the growing Chinese army and resolve issues of possible internal threats.

It is probable that Austin will also face a problem of complete curtailment of military presence of the USA in Afghanistan and Iraq - the objective which two predecessors of the president Biden achieved, but could not reach.^[1]

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