Biden: Here’s why I chose Lloyd Austin for defense secretary

President-elect Joe Biden said he chose retired Gen. Lloyd Austin III as his nominee for defense secretary because of his experience and integrity, calling the retired soldier “the definition of a patriot.”

“[Austin] and I share a commitment to empowering our diplomats and development experts to lead our foreign policy, using force only as our last resort,” Biden wrote in an essay for The Atlantic Tuesday explaining his decision. “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.”

Austin, 67, is poised to become the first African-American defense secretary in U.S. history, if the Senate confirms him.

He was a surprise choice given the strong backing in many Democratic circles behind former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy. But Biden wrote in his piece that his past relationship with Austin — especially their work together ending U.S. presence in Iraq while Biden was vice president — gave him confidence in Austin’s leadership.

“He played a crucial role in bringing 150,000 American troops home from the theater of war,” Biden wrote . “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.”

Austin was only the sixth African-American four-star general in Army history, and Biden praised his “distinguished and trailblazing career” as a factor in his nomination.

And Biden said Austin will need that experience to handle a variety of key national security missions, including distribution of a coronavirus vaccine to facing a variety of overseas military threats.

“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,” Biden wrote. “He is the person we need in this moment.”

Biden is expected to hold a press conference with Austin on Wednesday afternoon.

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

当选总统乔·拜登表示，他之所以选择退役将军劳埃德·奥斯汀三世作为国防部长提名人选，是因为他经验丰富、品格高尚，并称这位退役军人是“爱国者的典范”。

拜登周二在《大西洋月刊》发表的一篇文章中解释了他的决定，他写道：“我和奥斯汀都致力于赋予我们的外交官和发展专家更大的权力，让他们主导我们的外交政策，只有在万不得已的情况下才使用武力。我们今天面临的威胁与10年前甚至5年前面临的威胁都不同。我们必须做好准备迎接未来的挑战，而不是继续打过去的战争。”

“我们必须制定以外交为主导、重振联盟的外交政策，让美国重回领导地位，并团结世界共同应对威胁我们安全的全球性问题——从流行病到气候变化，从核扩散到难民危机。”

如果参议院确认，现年 67 岁的奥斯汀将成为美国历史上第一位非裔美国人国防部长。

考虑到许多民主党人士都力挺前国防部政策副部长米歇尔·弗卢努瓦，拜登的当选令人颇感意外。但拜登在文章中写道，他与奥斯汀过去的合作关系——尤其是在拜登担任副总统期间，两人共同努力结束了美国在伊拉克的军事存在——让他对奥斯汀的领导能力充满信心。

拜登写道：“他在将15万美军从战区撤回国内的过程中发挥了至关重要的作用。完成这项任务需要的不仅仅是一名经验丰富的军人的技能和战略。奥斯汀还需要运用外交手段，与我们的伊拉克同行以及该地区的伙伴建立关系。”

“他是一位杰出的政治家，以荣誉和尊严代表我们的国家，并且始终把人民的利益放在首位。”

奥斯汀是陆军历史上第六位非裔美国人四星上将，拜登称赞他“杰出的、开创性的职业生涯”是他获得提名的原因之一。

拜登表示，奥斯汀需要具备这样的经验来处理各种重要的国家安全任务，包括分发冠状病毒疫苗和应对各种海外军事威胁。

拜登写道：“事实上，奥斯汀的诸多优势以及他对国防部和我们政府的深入了解，与我们目前面临的挑战和危机完美契合。他正是我们此刻需要的人。”

预计拜登将于周三下午与奥斯汀共同举行新闻发布会。

利奥为《军事时报》报道国会、退伍军人事务部和白宫的新闻。自2004年以来，他一直报道华盛顿特区的新闻，重点关注军人和退伍军人政策。他的作品荣获多项荣誉，包括2009年波尔克奖、2010年国家头条新闻奖、国际退伍军人协会新闻领导力奖和美国退伍军人协会新闻媒体奖。