President-elect Joe Biden is reportedly preparing to pick retired General Lloyd Austin to be his secretary of defense. If confirmed, Austin would become the first African American to head the Pentagon. Austin is the former chief of U.S. Central Command, where he oversaw U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. After retiring in 2016, he joined the board of Raytheon and became a partner in Pine Island Capital Partners, a venture capital fund focused on military-related companies. Austin will need a legal waiver from Congress to take the position due to laws designed to preserve the civilian control of the military.

The selection of Austin is being seen as a victory for antiwar groups who had fought against the possible selection of Michèle Flournoy as defense secretary due to her past support of wars in Iraq, Libya and other countries.