退役的美国陆军上将劳埃德·奥斯汀星期五在参议院以93比2的票数确认后不久接任第一位五角大楼黑人长官。
在进入五角大楼宣誓就职并开始他作为国防部长的第一天之前，奥斯汀在五角大楼外面受到了参谋长联席会议主席马克·米利将军的肘击，他领导的军队现在有近17%的非洲裔美国人。
“我期待着和你一起工作，在校园里见到你，”奥斯汀对记者说，没有回答任何问题。
格雷格·纳什/美联社泳池
国防部长提名人劳埃德·奥斯汀在听证会前听取他的确认
经参议院确认后，奥斯汀由华盛顿总部服务部代理主任汤姆·穆尔宣誓就职。
当天早些时候，乔·拜登总统签署了一份由国会批准的弃权书，允许奥斯汀接任这一职务，尽管他自2016年退休以来还不到7年。
前军事领导人接管五角大楼的规定是为了解决人们对保持文职人员对军队的控制的担忧，以及对最近退休的人可能过于执着于政策和他或她在军队期间共事的人的担忧。
唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)总统的第一任国防部长、退休的美国海军陆战队上将吉姆·马蒂斯(Jim Mattis)在2017年也获得了类似的豁免。
奥斯汀在1月19日参议院军事委员会的确认听证会上说:“如果你确认我，我准备现在就作为一名平民服役，充分认识到这一区别的重要性。”
莎拉·西尔比格/盖蒂影像公司
参谋长联席会议主席马克·米利问候即将上任的国防部长劳埃德
他说:“我理解并尊重你们中的一些人对国防部再任命一位最近退休的将军所表达的保留意见。”。“我们民主的安全和保障要求我们的武装部队由合格的文职人员控制，军事权力从属于文职人员。”
他承诺将身边围绕着经验丰富的平民，并表示将授权他们“在有意义的监督基础上建立健康的军民关系”。
周五下午，奥斯汀向警方发出了为期一天的信息。
“在我看来，作为国防部长，我的工作是让你更有效地完成你的任务。这意味着确保你有工具、技术、武器和训练来威慑和击败我们的敌人。这意味着建立健全的政策和战略，给你明确的任务。这意味着重视与我们的盟友和伙伴的合作。这意味着不辜负我们的核心价值观，也就是我们的同胞对我们的期望，”奥斯汀在他的书面信息中说。
奥斯汀说，他计划让负责政策的国防部副部长参加最高决策会议，“确保战略和行动决策由政策决定。”
布伦丹·斯米卢斯基/法新社通过盖蒂图像
2021年1月22日，即将上任的美国国防部长劳埃德·奥斯汀抵达华盛顿特区五角大楼。
他说，他的第一个主要挑战将是应对冠状病毒大流行，并表示，如果得到证实，他将迅速审查五角大楼对全国疫苗分发的贡献。
奥斯汀说，另一个首要任务是确保国防部员工拥有“一个没有歧视、仇恨和骚扰的工作环境。”
奥斯汀说:“如果得到证实，我将努力消除性侵犯，清除我们的种族主义者和极端主义者，创造一种氛围，让每个适合和愿意的人都有机会有尊严地为这个国家服务。”。国防部的工作是保护美国免受敌人的威胁。但是，如果这些敌人中有一些在我们自己的队伍中，我们就不能这样做。"
奥斯汀是美国中央司令部的前指挥官，负责中东的军事活动。他在服役40多年后退休，包括在伊拉克领导美国军队和反对伊斯兰国的战役。
67岁的奥斯汀出生于阿拉巴马州的莫比尔，他于2016年结束了美国中央司令部司令的职业生涯，当时他负责中东的所有美国军队。
在白宫，新闻秘书珍·普萨基(Jen Psaki)表示，奥斯汀“一生都在打破障碍”。
Austin makes history as first African American to lead Pentagon
Retired U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin on Friday took over as the first black Pentagon chief shortly after being confirmed 93-2 by the Senate.
Austin was greeted outside the Pentagon with an elbow bump by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley before heading inside to be sworn in and begin his first day as defense secretary, leading a military that is now nearly 17 percent African American.
"I look forward to working with you, see you around campus," Austin said to reporters, ignoring questions.
After being confirmed by the Senate, Austin was administratively sworn by Tom Muir, acting director of the Washington Headquarters Services.
Earlier in the day, President Joe Biden signed a waiver approved by Congress allowing Austin to take the job even though it's been fewer than seven years since he retired in 2016.
The rule for former military leaders taking over at the Pentagon was instituted to address concerns about keeping civilian control of the military and worries someone recently retired might be too wedded to policies and to people he or she worked with during their time in the military.
A similar waiver was granted in 2017 for President Donald Trump's first defense secretary, retired U.S. Marine Gen. Jim Mattis.
"If you confirm me, I am prepared to serve now -- as a civilian -- fully acknowledging the importance of this distinction," Austin said at his Jan. 19 confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"I understand and respect the reservations some of you have expressed about having another recently retired general at the head of the Department of Defense," he said. "The safety and security of our democracy demands competent civilian control of our armed forces, the subordination of military power to the civil."
He pledged to surround himself with experienced civilians whom he said he would empower to "enable healthy civil-military relations, grounded in meaningful oversight."
On Friday afternoon, Austin sent out a day-one message to the force.
"The way I see it, my job as Secretary of Defense is to make you more effective at doing yours. That means ensuring you have the tools, technology, weapons, and training to deter and defeat our enemies. It means establishing sound policy and strategy and assigning you clear missions. It means putting a premium on cooperation with our allies and partners. And it means living up to our core values, the same ones our fellow citizens expect of us," Austin said in he written message.
Austin said he planned to include the under secretary of defense for policy in top decision-making meetings "ensuring strategic and operational decisions are informed by policy."
He said his first major challenge would be dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, and said that if confirmed he will quickly review the Pentagon's contributions to the nationwide distribution of vaccines.
Another top priority, Austin said, would be to ensure Defense Department employees have "a working environment free of discrimination, hate and harassment."
"If confirmed, I will fight hard to stamp out sexual assault, to rid our ranks of racists and extremists, and to create a climate where everyone fit and willing has the opportunity to serve this country with dignity," said Austin. The job of the Department of Defense is to keep America safe from our enemies. But we can’t do that if some of those enemies lie within our own ranks."
The former commander of U.S. Central Command -- with jurisdiction over military activities in the Middle East -- Austin retired after more than 40 years of military service, including a stint leading U.S. forces in Iraq and the campaign against the Islamic State.
A native of Mobile, Alabama, the 67-year-old Austin finished his career in 2016 as the commander of U.S. Central Command, where he was in charge of all American troops in the Middle East.
At the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki, noting his historic confirmation, said Austin "has been breaking barriers all his life."
