AP sources: Biden picks Lloyd Austin as secretary of defense

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden will nominate retired four-star Army general Lloyd J. Austin to be secretary of defense.

That's according to four people familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity because the selection hadn't been formally announced.

If confirmed by the Senate, Austin would be the first Black Pentagon chief. Austin retired from the Army in 2016, which means he would require a congressional waiver of the legal requirement that a former military member be out of uniform for at least seven years before serving as secretary of defense.

Austin has a reputation for possessing a strong intellect and an aversion to publicity.