Joe Biden, who won the US Presidential elections 2020, has chosen retired General Lloyd Austin, who under President Barack Obama oversaw U.S forces in the Middle East, to be his defense secretary.

According to the details, Austin would be the first Black U.S. defense secretary and was in a state of surprise when he got to know that Biden had picked him over Michele Flournoy, a former top Defense Department.

Austin will need a wavier from Congress as he had served less than the required seven years. In the past four years, Austin would be the second Pentagon chief to need a wavier, after Donald Trump chose James Mattis, a retired Marine general, to be his defense secretary.

It is said that selecting Austin as the new defense secretary could ignite the fire from some progressive groups given his role in retirement on the board of a number of companies.

But during Obama’s presidentship, Biden and Austin had developed a working relationship.’

Earlier, US President-elect Joe Biden had said that the White House had so far been “sincere” in helping his transition to power.

He said in an interview, “It has not been begrudging so far, and I don’t expect it to be.”

Biden said that he did not yet speak to the president. But he said he did not expect the beginning of his term to be affected by the delay.

“It’s a slow start but it’s starting and there are two months left to go, so I’m feeling good about the ability to be able to get up to speed,” said Biden.

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