The US Senate approved Lloyd Austin’s candidacy for the post of Secretary of Defense, proposed by Joe Biden. He became the first African American to lead the Pentagon, CNN reports.
93 senators voted for Austin, who has the rank of a four-star general, and two against. For three years, from 2013 to 2016, he led the US Central Command. It is noted that during Barack Obama’s presidency, he and Biden worked a lot together.
Previously, Austin served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and also became the last head of the United States Force in Iraq.
As noted by CNN, the Biden administration is the most ethnically diverse in the history of the American state: every second manager appointed by him belongs to the representatives of the colored population. For the first time, a non-white woman took the post of vice president – Kamala Harris is of Indian and Negro descent.