President-elect Joe Biden has formally confirmed Lloyd Austin as his nominee to be the 28th Secretary of Defense. If confirmed by the Senate, the retired four-star Army General would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon, breaking a long-lasting barrier in the U.S. government.

The formal announcement was made on Wednesday, with Biden noting that it is imperative for the nation to gear up for future challenges and not just focus on fighting wars of the past. The Democrat suggested that America needs to build a foreign policy that leads with diplomacy, strengthen the State Department and the nation's alliance.

These steps would enable America to put its leadership back at the table and assemble the world to meet global threats, according to a clip posted by ABC News, showing Biden introducing his defense secretary nominee. While introducing his Defense secretary nominee, Biden noted that Lloyd Austin knows how to do his work, whether it is handling pandemics or climate change, the refugee crisis, or nuclear proliferation.

Austin's selection has sparked controversies surrounding his business ties and his status as a recently retired general. Moreover, he is currently a member of the board at defense giant Raytheon. It is worth mentioning here that President Donald Trump's former Pentagon chiefs Mark Esper, James Mattis, as well as acting secretary of defense Patrick Shanahan, were also tied to defense giants Boeing, Raytheon, and General Dynamics.

Congress restricts any individual from serving as secretary of Defense within seven years of active-duty service, under its National Security Act of 1947. Austin, however, left Army four years ago, meaning he would require a special congressional waiver to dodge the seven-year rule.

Noting that he fully understands and respects this law, Biden said he wouldn't be asking for this special congressional waiver if he did not believe that this moment in American history didn't call for it. He went on to say that he knows Austin and his respect for the American Constitution and the nation's system of government.

Biden urged the congress to grant a waiver, just as they did for Secretary Jim Mattis. If the Senate confirms his nomination, Austin would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon. This will be a historic move that will break long-standing obstacles in the U.S. government.

Biden acknowledged that Austin's nomination commits a breach of civilian requirement, writing in The Atlantic. The former veep said Austin’s qualifications are superior to the potential harm of evading the civilian-military divide.