Lloyd James Austin, a retired Army general, was born in 1953, and became the first African American to be appointed as the head of the United States Department of Defense (the Pentagon). He built his military reputation on his successful leadership of the Third Infantry Division's attack on Baghdad in April 2003 and capturing it.
He is referred to as "the mastermind behind the attack on Baghdad" and was known throughout his military career as the silent general. However, this did not mean he was silent on a political level as the head of the Pentagon, especially in light of major military conflicts across the world, and specifically the Russian war on Ukraine and the Israeli war on Gaza.
Early Life
Lloyd James Austin was born on August 3, 1953, in Mobile, Alabama, in the southeastern region of the United States, to an African American family. His father, Lloyd James Austin Jr., was a postal worker, while his mother, Aletia Taylor Austin, was a homemaker. He grew up in Thomasville, Georgia.
In the 1980s, he married Charlene Denise Banner, and they had two children, Reginald Hill and Christopher Hill.
Education and Academic Formation
Austin obtained his high school diploma from Thomasville High School and completed his university education at the United States Military Academy, graduating in June 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree.
He later earned a Master of Arts in counselor education from Auburn University in 1986 and a Master of Business Administration from Webster University in 1989.
In addition to his academic career, Austin graduated from the Basic and Advanced Infantry Officers Courses, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the War College.
Political and Practical Experience
Austin began his military duties in 1975 at American bases in East Germany, where he was appointed as a second lieutenant in the Third Infantry Battalion. He progressed through military positions and tasks over several years, including early service in various battalions and regiments of the US Army.
In 1981, he was assigned to Indianapolis, Indiana, as the operations officer in the Army Recruiting Command and was later given command of a company in the recruiting battalion. After completing these duties, he joined the university for postgraduate studies.
The general returned to Fort Bragg in 1993, serving as the commander of the Second Battalion in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division. He was then appointed as the commander of the Third Brigade in the 82nd Airborne Division from 1997 to 1999.
After completing his service at Fort Bragg, he was assigned to the Pentagon, where he served as Chief of the Joint Operations Section in the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1999 until 2001.
He held the position of assistant commander of a division in the Third Infantry Division in both Georgia and Iraq from July 2001 until June 2003. His division led the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, taking control of Baghdad International Airport and capturing the Iraqi capital during the American invasion of Iraq.
He became the General Commander of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum in New York and the Joint Task Force Commander in the 180th Division in Afghanistan from September 2003 to August 2005.
In September 2005, Austin became the Chief of Staff at the United States Central Command under President George Bush and remained in this role until November 2006. He then became the General Commander of the 18th Airborne Corps in December of that year.
Austin returned to Iraq, overseeing the Multi-National Corps there from February 2008 to April 2009.
The general transitioned to office work once more when he returned to the United States and was appointed as the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon for a year starting in August 2009.
In September 2010, he became the General Commander of the US forces in Iraq, supervising the coalition forces and the withdrawal of US troops completed in December 2011.
He served as the 33rd Vice Chief of Staff of the Army from January 2012 to March 2013, during which, specifically in January 2012, former President Barack Obama nominated him to be the 12th Commander of US Central Command, a post he held for three years starting in March 2013.
He supervised the development and execution of military strategy and joint operations across the Middle East, Central, and South Asia. He also oversaw the military campaign against the Islamic State organization in Iraq and Syria.
Austin retired from the Army in April 2016 and transitioned to the private sector. He founded Austin Strategy Group, LLC, where he was the owner and president. He also served on the boards of several American companies and became a partner in a number of US firms. He remained in the private sector until 2020.
On December 8, 2020, President Joe Biden nominated him for the position of Secretary of Defense. On January 21, 2021, Congress approved a waiver allowing Austin to serve as Secretary of Defense due to a law that requires the Secretary of Defense to have been out of active military service for seven years before taking up the post. The Senate voted the next day, with a majority of 93 to 2 in favor of Austin, who became the first African American Secretary of Defense.
Austin was known as a strong advocate of the strategy of "dealing with local forces" to resolve internal disputes in countries where US forces are deployed, as happened in Iraq's Anbar province through the "Awakening Councils," and with the Syrian Democratic Forces.
He is a proponent of continuous cooperation with the United States' historical allies and opposed President Donald Trump's administration's withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal because he believed that withdrawing deprived Washington of the opportunity to monitor and control Iranian nuclear activity as allowed by the agreement.
Biden, upon nominating Austin for the Department of Defense, said he is "uniquely qualified to face the challenges and crises we are currently experiencing."
His Stance on the Gaza War
Since the beginning of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm and the war Israel has waged on Gaza since October 7, 2023, Austin pledged to provide more military support to Israel to enhance its capabilities to confront Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement. He acknowledged the firmness of American support for Israel, revealing that the US seeks to ensure Israel has everything it needs to defend itself, in his words.
The day after the operation, Austin ordered the deployment of the aircraft carrier strike group "Gerald R. Ford" to the eastern Mediterranean in support of Israel, emphasizing the rapid movement his country is making to supply Israel with equipment and additional resources.
Austin visited Tel Aviv at the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023, meeting with Israeli leadership and attending the war council meeting. At the end of the month, the "New York Times" cited US officials saying that Israel changed its invasion and attack plans to be more focused as Austin had advised them.
On October 22, Austin stated that the United States would act against anyone attempting to expand the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.
Austin's position did not change over the months of the war. In early December 2023, he stated that the United States would not allow Hamas to claim victory and that support for Israel was non-negotiable. Simultaneously, he warned Israel against strategic defeat if it did not adhere to the protection of civilians in the territory.
During his second visit to Tel Aviv during the war on Gaza in mid-December, Austin confirmed at a press conference with his Israeli counterpart that Washington would continue to support Israel with weapons and ammunition during its war on Gaza, and that Israel's security is linked to dismantling Hamas. He also indicated that his country had not proposed a timeframe for ending the military operation, stating that the war was a purely Israeli operation.
Austin's Hospitalization
In early January 2024, Austin was hospitalized due to complications following a non-emergency medical procedure. He remained in intensive care for four days, not informing the US President, the Department of Defense, or any senior officials of his hospitalization until three days later, which raised controversy, especially since concealing his health status for several days was considered a violation of standard protocol.
Austin's illness coincided with the absence of his deputy, worsening the situation with both the leader and deputy absent. Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder denied rumors of Austin's resignation due to his health condition.
In a statement issued on January 6, 2024, Austin acknowledged that the situation could have been handled better and committed to do better, assuring his imminent return to the Pentagon without specifying an exact date.
Positions and Responsibilities
In the Military:
- Operations officer in the Army Recruiting Command for the Indianapolis area, then company commander in a recruiting battalion in 1981.
- Battalion commander of the Second Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the 82nd Airborne Division in 1993.
- Brigade commander of the Third Brigade in the 82nd Airborne Division from 1997 to 1999.
- Chief of the Joint Operations Section in the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1999 to 2001.
- Assistant division commander of the Third Infantry Division from 2001 to 2003.
- General Commander of the 10th Mountain Division and Joint Task Force Commander of the 180th Division in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005.
- Chief of Staff of the US Central Command from 2005 to 2006.
- Commander of the Multi-National Corps in Iraq from 2008 to 2009.
- General Commander of US forces in Iraq in 2010.
- 33rd Vice Chief of Staff of the Army from 2012 to 2013.
- 12th Commander of US Central Command from 2013 to 2016.
- First African American Secretary of Defense since 2021.
In the Private Sector:
- Founder, owner, and director of Austin Strategy Group, LLC in 2016.
- Director of "Guest Services" for hotel management.
- Board member of "United Technologies".
- Board member of a non-profit organization called the Carnegie Foundation in New York.
- Board member of Tenet Healthcare.
- Partner in "Pine Island Capital Partners".
- Advisory board member of "Fidelity Investments".
Awards and Honors
Austin received a range of awards and honors, including:
- Five Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the highest non-combat military award in the country.
- Three Superior Defense Service Medals, and two Meritorious Service Medals.
- The Silver Star for his leadership of the Third Infantry Division during the invasion of Iraq on April 18, 2003.
