Lloyd Austin is the Right Choice for Defense Secretary | Opinion Wesley Clark On 12/14/20 at 10:03 AM EST President-elect Joe Biden has made an inspired choice in selecting retired general Lloyd Austin to be secretary of defense in his administration. Ever since I entered West Point in 1962, and after 38 years in uniform and 20 years as a retired general, political candidate and businessman, I've learned a lot about this powerful, difficult position. Lloyd Austin is the right person for the job at this time. It is a job that comes with great responsibilities. The secretary of defense, along with the president, represents the National Command Authority—think nuclear weapons, deterrence, retaliation, crises and response, war and peace and everything in between. In these responsibilities, the secretary must work closely with both the president and vice president, of course, but also other cabinet members, and especially the secretary of state and national security advisor.