Biden formally nominates Lloyd Austin to head Pentagon

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- President-elect Joe Biden formally nominated retired four-star Army Gen. Lloyd Austin III to be his defense secretary Wednesday.

If confirmed by the Senate, Austin would be the first Black American to head the Pentagon.

"From pandemics to climate change, from nuclear proliferation to the refugee crisis, Lloyd Austin knowns how to do this work," Biden said announcing his pick.

Because it's been less than four years since Lloyd's retirement from the military, Congress would have to issue a waiver to allow him to serve in the role. Under current rules, someone must be at least seven years out of the armed forces to be considered to head the Pentagon, a measure to ensure civilian control of the military.

"There's a good reason for this law that I fully understand and respect. I would not be asking for this exception if I did not believe that this moment in our history doesn't call for it," Biden said.

"I know this man, I know his respect for our Constitution and ... for our system of government. So, just as they did for Secretary Jim Mattis, I asked Congress to grant a waiver."

Austin said maintaining civilian control of the U.S. military is important.

"I came to this new role as a civilian leader -- with military experience, to be sure -- but also with a deep appreciation and reverence for the prevailing wisdom of civilian control of our military," he said.

Austin, 67, was the first and only Black man to lead U.S. Central Command, which oversees military actions in the region that includes Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria.

Austin retired from the Army in 2016 as a four-star general and chief of Central Command. While in that post, he directed U.S.-led military intervention to counter the rise of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria beginning in 2014.

Don Jacobson contributed to this report.