Biden appoints Lloyd Austin as Defense Secretary.

[the other mike]

Lloyd Austin will now become our first black Secretary of Defense.

WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed Lloyd Austin as the next Pentagon chief Friday, making him the nation’s first Black Defense secretary.

The Senate voted 93 to 2 to confirm Austin.

Austin’s confirmation follows Wednesday’s Senate confirmation of Avril Haines, who became the first woman to the lead nation’s 18 intelligence agencies as the director of national intelligence.

Senate confirms Lloyd Austin as America's first Black secretary of Defense

Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon, breaking one of the more enduring barriers in the U.S. government.

www.cnbc.com

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

he will be a left wing tool

 

[gipper]

he will be a left wing tool

No. He will not. He’s a neocon just like Joe. He’s a Raytheon board member.

Wake the fuck up!

He is the prefect example of the incestuous nature of government and the big war corporations (MIC).

 

[miketx]

Shoulda picked Blind Melon Chitlin.

 

[the other mike]

"Your worst fucking nightmare."

 

[Ben Thomson]

he will be a left wing tool

Your just pissed all the right wing tools are gone

 

[Ben Thomson]

"Your worst fucking nightmare."

Bet Trump voters love that scene..(chuckle)

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

As the picks begin to sail through..history is made yet again:

Austin confirmed as first Black defense secretary

The Senate on Friday confirmed Lloyd Austin to be the new Defense secretary, making the retired Army general the first Black person to run the Pentagon.
Austin's nomination was approved despite concerns among Democrats and Republicans about appointing another recently retired general to lead the Defense Department.
The quick confirmation vote comes amid a push on Capitol Hill to get President Joe Biden's national security team on the job as quickly as possible — Austin is the second member of Biden's Cabinet to be confirmed.
The vote came just a day after the House and Senate approved a waiver to allow Austin to serve. Austin, who retired from the military in 2016, falls short of the legal requirement that military officers be out of uniform for seven years to serve as Defense secretary.

 

[Claudette]

As the picks begin to sail through..history is made yet again:

Austin confirmed as first Black defense secretary

The Senate on Friday confirmed Lloyd Austin to be the new Defense secretary, making the retired Army general the first Black person to run the Pentagon.
Austin's nomination was approved despite concerns among Democrats and Republicans about appointing another recently retired general to lead the Defense Department.
The quick confirmation vote comes amid a push on Capitol Hill to get President Joe Biden's national security team on the job as quickly as possible — Austin is the second member of Biden's Cabinet to be confirmed.
The vote came just a day after the House and Senate approved a waiver to allow Austin to serve. Austin, who retired from the military in 2016, falls short of the legal requirement that military officers be out of uniform for seven years to serve as Defense secretary.

Well they ousted the black surgeon general. Guess they wanted to be fair. LOL

 

[bendog]

he will be a left wing tool

No. He will not. He’s a neocon just like Joe. He’s a Raytheon board member.

Wake the fuck up!

He is the prefect example of the incestuous nature of government and the big war corporations (MIC).

Well he was against our Syrian misadventure. And Trump had no aversion to military industrialists.

I'll wait to see. Biden for all his middle credentials did try to avoid nationbuilding in Afghan with American troops.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Ability and experience means nothing. It's all intersectionality and class.

 

[d0gbreath]

Flash isn't going to like this.

 

[BluesLegend]

Why is skin pigment even being discussed??

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Ability and experience means nothing. It's all intersectionality and class.

Tell me kitty---where do you find a lack of experience in his resume, as regards Defense?

Lloyd Austin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is an American retired four-star Army general who is the 28th and current United States secretary of defense. Austin previously served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Austin was the first black commander of CENTCOM,[1] and is the first black secretary of defense.
Before CENTCOM, Austin was the 33rd vice chief of staff of the United States Army from January 2012 to March 2013, and the last commanding general of United States Forces – Iraq Operation New Dawn, which ended in December 2011. He retired from the armed services in 2016, and subsequently served on the boards of Raytheon Technologies, Nucor, and Tenet Healthcare.

Austin was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduation from West Point.[8] His initial assignment was to the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) in Germany.[8]
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, 82nd Airborne Division.[8]
In 1981, Austin was assigned to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was the operations officer for the Army Indianapolis District Recruiting Command and later commanded a company in the Army Recruiting Battalion.[8][additional citation(s) needed] Upon completing this assignment, he attended Auburn University, where he completed studies for a master's degree in education. He was then assigned to the Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he served as a company tactical officer.[8]
After his selection and subsequent 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 Division (Light Infantry) and later as Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security for Fort Drum, New York.[8]
In 1993, Austin returned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he commanded the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry.[9] He later served as the G-3 for the 82nd Airborne Division. Following graduation from the Army War College, he commanded the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.[8]

Brigadier General Lloyd Austin during a meeting with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in Kabul, Afghanistan, December 4, 2003.
Shortly after brigade command, he was assigned to The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where he served as Chief, Joint Operations Division, J-3, on the Joint Staff. His next assignment 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.[8] Austin was awarded a Silver Star for his actions as commander during the invasion.[10]
Austin served from September 2003 until August 2005 as the commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), with duty as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force 180, during the War in Afghanistan. His next position was chief of staff of the United States Central Command at MacDill AFB, in Tampa, Florida, from September 2005 until October 2006.[8]

On December 8, 2006, Austin was promoted to lieutenant general, and assumed command of the XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.[11] 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 in all sectors of Iraq.[12]

Austin handed over command of XVIII Corps to become Director of the Joint Staff in August 2009.[8] This promotion came at the direction of Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time. While Director, Austin was told by Mullen to increase the diversity of the Joint Staff. Austin credited the appointment as having jumpstarted his later career, saying: "People who might not have known Lloyd Austin began to know him."[6]

 

[bendog]

Ability and experience means nothing. It's all intersectionality and class.

Tell me kitty---where do you find a lack of experience in his resume, as regards Defense?

Lloyd Austin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is an American retired four-star Army general who is the 28th and current United States secretary of defense. Austin previously served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Austin was the first black commander of CENTCOM,[1] and is the first black secretary of defense.
Before CENTCOM, Austin was the 33rd vice chief of staff of the United States Army from January 2012 to March 2013, and the last commanding general of United States Forces – Iraq Operation New Dawn, which ended in December 2011. He retired from the armed services in 2016, and subsequently served on the boards of Raytheon Technologies, Nucor, and Tenet Healthcare.

Austin was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduation from West Point.[8] His initial assignment was to the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) in Germany.[8]
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, 82nd Airborne Division.[8]
In 1981, Austin was assigned to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was the operations officer for the Army Indianapolis District Recruiting Command and later commanded a company in the Army Recruiting Battalion.[8][additional citation(s) needed] Upon completing this assignment, he attended Auburn University, where he completed studies for a master's degree in education. He was then assigned to the Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he served as a company tactical officer.[8]
After his selection and subsequent 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 Division (Light Infantry) and later as Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security for Fort Drum, New York.[8]
In 1993, Austin returned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he commanded the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry.[9] He later served as the G-3 for the 82nd Airborne Division. Following graduation from the Army War College, he commanded the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.[8]

Brigadier General Lloyd Austin during a meeting with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in Kabul, Afghanistan, December 4, 2003.
Shortly after brigade command, he was assigned to The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where he served as Chief, Joint Operations Division, J-3, on the Joint Staff. His next assignment 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.[8] Austin was awarded a Silver Star for his actions as commander during the invasion.[10]
Austin served from September 2003 until August 2005 as the commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), with duty as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force 180, during the War in Afghanistan. His next position was chief of staff of the United States Central Command at MacDill AFB, in Tampa, Florida, from September 2005 until October 2006.[8]

On December 8, 2006, Austin was promoted to lieutenant general, and assumed command of the XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.[11] 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 in all sectors of Iraq.[12]

Austin handed over command of XVIII Corps to become Director of the Joint Staff in August 2009.[8] This promotion came at the direction of Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time. While Director, Austin was told by Mullen to increase the diversity of the Joint Staff. Austin credited the appointment as having jumpstarted his later career, saying: "People who might not have known Lloyd Austin began to know him."[6]

He's an Acad grad as well.

The only rap on him is that he'd not been out of active duty "long enough" and worked in the military industrial complex. But unless he's been a civilian DOD employee, that's where he'd have worked.

Both West Point and Annapolis are pretty stringent in teaching about civilian control. Imo maybe we need to review these guys more on there merits. After Mattis, Trump found guys who'd cozy up to him too much. Lafayette Park should never have been allowed to happen.

 

[22lcidw]

Ability and experience means nothing. It's all intersectionality and class.

Tell me kitty---where do you find a lack of experience in his resume, as regards Defense?

Lloyd Austin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is an American retired four-star Army general who is the 28th and current United States secretary of defense. Austin previously served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Austin was the first black commander of CENTCOM,[1] and is the first black secretary of defense.
Before CENTCOM, Austin was the 33rd vice chief of staff of the United States Army from January 2012 to March 2013, and the last commanding general of United States Forces – Iraq Operation New Dawn, which ended in December 2011. He retired from the armed services in 2016, and subsequently served on the boards of Raytheon Technologies, Nucor, and Tenet Healthcare.

Austin was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduation from West Point.[8] His initial assignment was to the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) in Germany.[8]
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, 82nd Airborne Division.[8]
In 1981, Austin was assigned to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was the operations officer for the Army Indianapolis District Recruiting Command and later commanded a company in the Army Recruiting Battalion.[8][additional citation(s) needed] Upon completing this assignment, he attended Auburn University, where he completed studies for a master's degree in education. He was then assigned to the Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he served as a company tactical officer.[8]
After his selection and subsequent 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 Division (Light Infantry) and later as Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security for Fort Drum, New York.[8]
In 1993, Austin returned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he commanded the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry.[9] He later served as the G-3 for the 82nd Airborne Division. Following graduation from the Army War College, he commanded the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.[8]

Brigadier General Lloyd Austin during a meeting with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in Kabul, Afghanistan, December 4, 2003.
Shortly after brigade command, he was assigned to The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where he served as Chief, Joint Operations Division, J-3, on the Joint Staff. His next assignment 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.[8] Austin was awarded a Silver Star for his actions as commander during the invasion.[10]
Austin served from September 2003 until August 2005 as the commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), with duty as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force 180, during the War in Afghanistan. His next position was chief of staff of the United States Central Command at MacDill AFB, in Tampa, Florida, from September 2005 until October 2006.[8]

On December 8, 2006, Austin was promoted to lieutenant general, and assumed command of the XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.[11] 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 in all sectors of Iraq.[12]

Austin handed over command of XVIII Corps to become Director of the Joint Staff in August 2009.[8] This promotion came at the direction of Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time. While Director, Austin was told by Mullen to increase the diversity of the Joint Staff. Austin credited the appointment as having jumpstarted his later career, saying: "People who might not have known Lloyd Austin began to know him."[6]

You never worked a job where someone became your boss with little experience in a dangeorus situation for decisions. This dependig on underlings for a few years to get him/her up to speed. No matter who gets injured or killed. But they are nothing anyway. We see what happened to the National Guard after the swearing in by the potentate and their caligula elites.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Were his promotions race based? His performance must have been unremarkable since there are no remarks.

 

[gipper]

he will be a left wing tool

No. He will not. He’s a neocon just like Joe. He’s a Raytheon board member.

Wake the fuck up!

He is the prefect example of the incestuous nature of government and the big war corporations (MIC).

Well he was against our Syrian misadventure. And Trump had no aversion to military industrialists.

I'll wait to see. Biden for all his middle credentials did try to avoid nationbuilding in Afghan with American troops.

He was against ONE of the Empire’s numerous imperialist adventures. Any others?

Dumb Joe was against nation building in Afghan? Really? Did this stop our government’s illegal and unjust occupation of that nation, while the he was VP?

 

[bendog]

he will be a left wing tool

No. He will not. He’s a neocon just like Joe. He’s a Raytheon board member.

Wake the fuck up!

He is the prefect example of the incestuous nature of government and the big war corporations (MIC).

Well he was against our Syrian misadventure. And Trump had no aversion to military industrialists.

I'll wait to see. Biden for all his middle credentials did try to avoid nationbuilding in Afghan with American troops.

He was against ONE of the Empire’s numerous imperialist adventures. Any others?

Dumb Joe was against nation building in Afghan? Really? Did this stop our government’s illegal and unjust occupation of that nation, while the he was VP?

Bernie is not going to be Sec of Def

 

[the other mike]

In the plagiarist-in chief's own words; ( yeah right )

Why I Chose Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense

We need a leader who is tested, and matched to the challenges we face in this moment.

www.theatlantic.com

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.

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 trailblazing career. He was the 200th person ever to attain the rank of an Army four-star general, but only the sixth African American. He built a career grounded in service to this country and challenged the institution that he loves to grow more inclusive and more diverse at every step.

He was the first African American general officer to lead an Army corps in combat and the first African American to command an entire theater of war; if confirmed, he will be the first African American to helm the Defense Department—another milestone in a barrier-breaking career dedicated to keeping the American people secure.

Lloyd Austin retired from military service more than four years ago. The law states that an officer must have left the service at least seven years before becoming secretary of defense. But I hope that Congress will grant a waiver to Secretary-designate Austin, just as Congress did for Secretary Jim Mattis. Given the immense and urgent threats and challenges our nation faces, he should be confirmed swiftly.

The fact is, Austin’s many strengths and his intimate knowledge of the Department of Defense and our government are uniquely matched to the challenges and crises we face. He is the person we need in this moment.

The next secretary of defense will need to immediately quarterback an enormous logistics operation to help distribute COVID-19 vaccines widely and equitably. Austin oversaw the largest logistical operation undertaken by the Army in six decades—the Iraq drawdown.

The next secretary of defense will need to ensure the well-being and resilience of our service members and their families, strained by almost two decades of war. Austin knows the incredible cost of war and the commingled pride and pain that live in the hearts of those families that pay it.

And the next secretary of defense will have to make sure that our armed forces reflect and promote the full diversity of our nation. Austin will bring to the job not only his personal experience, but the stories of the countless young people he has mentored. If confirmed, he will ensure that every member of the armed forces is treated with dignity and respect, including Black, Latino, Asian American, Native American, women, and LGBTQ service members.

Above all, I chose Lloyd Austin as my nominee for secretary of defense because I know how he reacts under pressure, and I know that he will do whatever it takes to defend the American people. When the Islamic State emerged as a terrorist threat in Iraq and Syria, endangering the security of America’s people and allies, President Obama and I turned to Austin, who then led U.S. Central Command. He designed and executed the campaign that ultimately beat back ISIS, helping to build a coalition of partners and allies from more than 70 countries who worked together to overcome a common enemy.

I respect and believe in the importance of civilian control of our military and in the importance of a strong civil-military working relationship at DoD—as does Austin. We need empowered civilians working with military leaders to shape DoD’s policies and ensure that our defense policies are accountable to the American people. Austin also knows that the secretary of defense has a different set of responsibilities than a general officer and that the civil-military dynamic has been under great stress these past four years. He will work tirelessly to get it back on track.

Moreover, we need leaders like Lloyd Austin who understand that our military is only one instrument of our national security. Keeping America strong and secure demands that we draw on all our tools. He and I share a commitment to empowering our diplomats and development experts to lead our foreign policy, using force only as our last resort.

The threats we face today are not the same as those we faced 10 or even five years ago. We must prepare to meet the challenges of the future, not keep fighting the wars of the past. We must build a foreign policy that leads with diplomacy and revitalizes our alliances, putting American leadership back at the table and rallying the world to meet global threats to our security—from pandemics to climate change, from nuclear proliferation to the refugee crisis.

Lloyd Austin, as part of our diverse national-security leadership team that reflects the lived experiences of all Americans, will be an essential part of this work. He shares my profound belief that the United States is strongest when we lead not only with the example of our power, but with the power of our example. He knows what is at stake, and he knows how much work lies ahead. And I know that, under his leadership, the Department of Defense will never fail to advance the security of the American people in ways that honor our highest values and ideals.

JOE BIDEN