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The remarks by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and U.S. Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie are at odds with comments President Biden made during an interview in August.
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Lloyd Austin arrived in the Afghan capital amid swirling questions about how long American troops will remain in the country. While there, he is expected to meet with President Ashraf Ghani.
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The trip showed different policy approaches between the U.S. and allies such as South Korea and Japan to two big issues: North Korea's growing nuclear arsenal and China's growing assertiveness.
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Austin has ordered the armed forces to stand down for one day to address concerns over extremism in the ranks — an issue that has drawn renewed concern in the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
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Austin's near-unanimous confirmation came despite concerns raised on both sides of the aisle that he hadn't been out of uniform for the legally mandated minimum seven-year period.
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The House normally has no role in Cabinet nominations, but because Austin, a retired Army general, has been out of uniform for less than seven years, both chambers of Congress must approve a waiver.
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The retired four-star Army general served in the military for 40 years including as the first Black general to lead U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East.
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The Senate returns for the first time since the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Five committees will question nominees to lead Defense, State, Homeland Security, Treasury and the top intelligence post.
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Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general, would be the first African American in the job. But confirming Austin to the top civilian spot in the Defense Department would require a waiver.
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If confirmed as defense secretary, retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin would be the first African-American to run the world's largest employer, with some 2.2 million servicemembers.