Gen. Lloyd Austin might be the next Secretary of Defense

Lloyd J. Austin III, seen above at a Stars and Stripes event with BEYA STEM Conference Chairman Tyrone Taborn (right) and Gregory J. Hayes, CEO, Raytheon Technologies (left), is reportedly being considered for appointment as Secretary of Defense by President-elect Joe Biden.

A retired four-star U.S. Army general with nearly 41 years of military service, Gen. Austin served for three years as the head of U.S. Central Command. He was featured on the cover of US Black Engineer magazine's end-of-year Veterans edition in 2014 and is a Stars and Stripes honoree.

During his illustrious military career, Gen. Austin served as the 33rd Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. His many awards and decorations include five Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Silver Star, and the Legion of Merit.

Today, Gen. Austin serves on the boards of directors of Nucor Corporation, Tenet Healthcare Corporation, and Guest Services, Inc., and on the board of trustees of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Auburn University. He is also a member of the Raytheon Technologies Board of Directors. Gen. Austin has been a member of the Raytheon Technologies board (including his service on the predecessor United Technologies Corporation board) since 2016.

Gen. Austin is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and he holds two master’s degrees – one in education from Auburn University and another in business management from Webster University.

In April 2016, a special retirement ceremony was hosted by then Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley at Summerall Field, Fort Myer, Virginia. The event featured a pre-ceremony concert, a musical salute, and a presentation of awards.

” This is a noteworthy tribute to General Austin,” said retired Vice Admiral Walter Davis, one of the founding fathers of the BEYA Stars and Stripes Mentoring organization.

“While in active service he gave Stars and Stripes that same dedication. Whether talking to a large audience or small group or one-on-one, he not only inspired youth to pursue engineering and STEM but he inspired excellence, dedicated hard work, and a don’t give up easy attitude. In fact, all of us were inspired by him. We hope to have his continued help with Stars & Stripes. We should all let him know how much we appreciate him.”