‘I really don’t want to be the last African-American secretary of defense’

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin never pictured any of this, he said Thursday during a White House panel celebrating Black History Month, alongside five other Black members of President Joe Biden’s cabinet.

He thought he’d graduate West Point, complete his service obligation and then go to law school, he said. But after 41 years in uniform and another year leading the Defense Department as a civilian, he said his new goal is to leave the department a more diverse and inclusive place than he found it.

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Lt Col Charlie Brown SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk SPC Margaret Higgins MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. PFC David Foster Sgt (Join to see) SGT Charlie Lee PO2 Marco Monsalve LTC David Brown SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth ] PO1 Tony Holland SSG William Jones 1SG Dan Capri SPC Nancy Greene PO1 Tony Holland SrA John MonettePO1 Tony Holland