Senate Confirms First Black Defense Secretary, Says He Supports Reversing Transgender Military Ban

Lloyd J. Austin became the first black American to serve as U.S. Secretary of Defense on Friday after the Senate overwhelmingly confirmed his appointment with a bipartisan 93 to 2 vote.

NPR reports, “Austin served more than 40 years in the Army, and headed U.S. Central Command, the Pentagon’s key post leading military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.”