The epic nature of Austin’s trip – from his childhood in severely secluded Alabama, through an army still plagued by racial inequality, to the height of America’s national defense – can only be matched by the scale of the challenges he will face there.
Biden chooses a former colleague he knows well for years working together during the Obama administration, a period when Austin led the US Central Command, served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, and Commander-in-Chief of US forces in Iraq.
Austin and Biden also share a personal bond. Biden’s son Beau served on the Austin crew in Iraq and the two established a close relationship there, sitting side-by-side at Mass almost every day and maintaining the friendship when Boo returned from deployment, according to a source familiar with Biden’s decision. .
A second source said Biden and Austin “have known each other for a long time … There is a comfort level.”
Biden wrote in the newspaper “The Atlantic”: “During more than 40 years in the US military, Austin has faced every challenge with extraordinary skill and a deep personal spirit.”
“He is a true soldier, a commander and a tester. I spent countless hours with him, in the field and in the White House operations room. I sought his advice, saw his leadership, and was impressed by his calmness and personality.”
Biden wrote: “Austen’s many strengths and his intimate knowledge of the Department of Defense and our government uniquely match the challenges and crises we face.”
For the president-elect, “he is the person we need at this moment.”
Biden will officially feature Austin as his nominee at Wednesday’s event in Wilmington, Delaware.
If Austin gets the job, the former battlefield commander will join the elite fraternity of African Americans who rose to the executive branch at a time when a fraught national debate about racial justice is asserting itself in the military as well.
At the Pentagon, Austin will inherit an institution that has been soured by political tensions over the past four years, analysts say, and one that deals with growing threats, such as China, persistent risks from the likes of North Korea, and the need to develop new capabilities in the internet, space and artificial intelligence. And managing the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, as the epidemic continues to devastate the United States.
Austin, 67, was born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1953, a time when opportunities were severely cut short for African Americans.
He retired in 2016 as a four-star general who was awarded the third-highest military honor of valor, five of the highest non-combat military awards and a slew of other honors.
Department of Defense data shows that while black service personnel make up 19% of all enlisted, they make up only 9% of the mostly white male officers.
Biden noted in the newspaper “The Atlantic” that Austin was “the 200th person ever to attain the rank of four-star general in the army, but he was the sixth African-American.”
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