Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin is Biden's pick for defense secretary: Sources
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to name retired four-star Army Gen. Lloyd Austin as his choice to lead the Defense Department, four sources familiar with Biden's plans told ABC News.
If confirmed, Austin would be the first Black defense secretary in American history.
Austin, the former commander of U.S. Central Command -- with jurisdiction over military activities in the Middle East -- retired in 2016 after more than 40 years of military service, including a stint leading U.S. forces in Iraq and the campaign against the Islamic State.
Austin will need a waiver from Congress to lead the Pentagon, given that he is less than seven years from active duty. Congress granted retired Marine Corps Gen. Jim Mattis the same waiver in 2017 to allow him to serve as President Donald Trump's first defense secretary.
-ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz, Benjamin Siegel, Katherine Faulders, John Santucci and Luis Martinez