22 January 2021-20 January 2025
Lloyd J. Austin III was born on August 8, 1953, in Mobile, Alabama. In 1975, he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. He also holds a Master’s degree in counselor education from Auburn University and a Master of Business Management from Webster University.
During his forty-one-year military career, Secretary Austin held a variety of command and staff positions. He served as the Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver), 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM from July 2001 to June 2003; as Commanding General, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, New York from September 2003 to August 2005, with duty as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force-180, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan. He then served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Central Command from September 2005 until November 2006. Following this assignment, he became the Commanding General, XVIII Airborne Corps in December 2006 and in this capacity, commanded Multi-National Corps-Iraq, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM from February 2008 to April 2009. His next orders brought him to the Pentagon as the Director of the Joint Staff from August 2009 to August 2010. Secretary Austin also commanded United States Forces-Iraq from September 2010 through the completion of OPERATION NEW DAWN in December 2011. He also served as the 33rd Vice Chief of Staff of the Army from January 2012 to March 2013, and then assumed command of the United States Central Command from March 2013 until his retirement from the Army as a four-star general in April 2016.
Following his retirement from the Army, Secretary Austin served on the Board of Directors of Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Nucor Corporation, and Tenet Healthcare.
The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III was sworn in as the 28th Secretary of Defense on January 22, 2021. He served in this role until President Joseph R. Biden Jr. left office in January 2025.