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Auburn alum Lloyd Austin confirmed as Secretary of Defense

<p>Retired Gen. Lloyd J. Austin ’86, Auburn University trustee and retired commander of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Army</p>

Retired Gen. Lloyd J. Austin ’86, Auburn University trustee and retired commander of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Army

Auburn graduate Lloyd Austin has been confirmed to serve as the next U.S. Defense Secretary. 

The retired four-star Army general and current member of the Auburn Board of Trustees confirmed his appointment on Twitter.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as our country’s 28th Secretary of Defense, and I’m especially proud to be the first African American to hold the position. Let’s get to work,” Austin said in a tweet on Friday.

The U.S. Senate voted by an overwhelming majority of 93-2 to confirm Austin as the next defense secretary, with the only two no votes coming from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-UT.

Born in Mobile, Alabama, and raised in Georgia, Austin first attended West Point where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1975. In 1986, Austin graduated from Auburn University with a Master of Arts degree in counselor education. After serving in the United States military for 41 years, he retired in 2016. 

Austin previously served as the first Black commander of the United States Central Command from 2013-2016 and will be the first Black person to serve as secretary of defense.


Larry Robinson | Photo Editor

Larry is a senior studying journalism with a minor in sociology. He is from Enterprise, Alabama and is in his third year with The Auburn Plainsman. 

Twitter: @ReportingLarry


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