The long support of my family as well. My mother and father, who was a postal worker, who along with a number of uncles and other relatives, spent time in the military. That inspired my own desire to serve. I also have enjoyed the strong port of my brother and four older sisters four older sisters and most importantly, most importantly, my bride charleen, who i have truly lucky to have by my side all these years, and i am so grateful for her enduring love and for her support. You know, i spent much of my military career tackling tough issues and formidable adversaries in challenging parts of the world. President elect biden, as you mentioned, we have worked closely together on tough issues and have gotten to know each other under intense and highpressure situations. Sir, you can expect that, as secretary of defense, i will give you the same direct and unvarnished counsel that i did back then. I understand the Important Role of the department of defense and the role that it plays in maintaining stability and deterring aggression and defending and supporting critical alliances around the world, including in the asia pacific, in europe, and around the world. I fervently believe that, as you have had said before, sir, that america is strongest when it works with its allies. Over the years, i have worked hand in hand with our diplomatic colleagues and partners around the globe, and witnessed firsthand what were able to accomplish together. So, if confirmed, i look forward to resuming this important work. My career has taught me Something Else equally fundamental to who we are as a nation. When i concluded my military service four years ago, i hung up my uniform for the last time and went from being general lloyd austin to lloyd austin. It is an important distinction and one that i make with utmost seriousness and sincerity. So i come to this new role as a civilian leader, with military experience to be sure, but also with a deep appreciation and reverence for the prevailing wisdom of civilian control of our military. I recognize that being a member of the president s cabinet requires a different perspective and unique responsibilities from a career in uniform. I intend to keep this at the forefront of my mind. I look forward to surrounding myself with experienced and capable civilian appointees and crier Civil Servants who will enable healthy Civil Military relations grounded in meaningful civilian oversight. As secretary of defense, my priority will always, always be the men and women, military and civilian, who make up the department and their families. I have seen what theyre capable of. Great americans like your son, sir, beau, and also our future first lady dr. Biden and her tireless work for military families. As the president elect said, beau was one of the military lawyers on my staff in iraq. We stayed in touch and saw each other a few times after he returned home. As you too can attest, madam Vice President elect, beau was a very special person and a true patriot, and a good friend to all who knew him. Over the past four decades, i have witnessed our Service Members and civilians selflessness, patriotism, and the extraordinary lengths they will go to in support of the mission and in support of one another. I could not be more proud of them and their families. If confirmed, it will be the honor of my lifetime to lead them again with honor and integrity. Thank you again, mr. President elect and madam Vice President elect, for this opportunity and your trust and confidence in me. May got bless and keep safe all those currently serving in harms way, and may god continue to bless the United States of america. Thank you. Good afternoon. President elect biden and i will take office at a consequential moment for our country. Even as we work to contain this pandemic and responsibly open our economy, we also need to lead the Defense Department into the future, rebuild and renew global alliances and partnerships, and make sure the United States is prepared to address new threats and new challenges from cyber to climate. The fundamental responsibility of our responsibilities and any administration, is keeping the American People safe and secure. My whole career has been about keeping americans safe. In the United States senate i served on the Homeland Security and intelligence communities. Ive trafd to iraq, afghanistan and the middle east, where i have seen historic training and heroism. I am absolutely confident that general lloyd austin is the right person to lead the department of defense at this critical moment. We need a proven leader to help address this pandemic, someone with the experience to help make sure safe and effective vaccines are distributed equitably to all. A leader who will honor of service and sacrifice of those who wear the uniform of the United States, provide for their wellbeing, and make sure they and their families are treated with the dignity and respect they have earned. And a leader who recognizes that our Service Members represent america around the world and must uphold or natiur nations t values and ideals. General austin is that leader. As the president elect noted, this is a milestone leader, a trailblazing commander s. General austin reflects the very best of our nation. President elect biden and i will work closely with him and our entire team of National Security and Foreign Policy leaders, to make sure the United States of america is safer and more secure than ever before. You know, throughout americas history, the United States military has been a home for generations of young men and women dedicated to serving in our country, and general austin is among them. With this nomination, he will continue his service, strengthening not only americas National Security, but our role as a partner to allies around the world. We couldnt be more proud. Thank you. A few people shouting questions, but not taking any today. Bar Barbara Starr, what do you think . I know general austin, and that is probably the most i have ever heard him speak about his own background, his life, his journey in the u. S. Military. He was much more fullsome than i6d ever heard him before. I think its a message that both he and president elect were sending to congress, that there are reasons that joe biden picked lloyd austin for this. I think there was a subtle shift in language that should be pointed out. Initially the president elect talking about general austin. Of course, generals do not run the pentagon. There is civilian control. You saw him try to swift to the word secretarydesignee. Thats an important signal to congress and to the American People this will maintain civilian control. They were trying to send that message, civilian control, rebuild alliances, rebuild relationships with allying, trying to turn away from the America First policy, if you will. On diversity, i think it was so important some of the things that he talked about, the heritage of the tuskegee airmen, the monfort marines, hallowed units of black americans in u. S. Military history, so many troops like to for where their heritage come from. The recent statistics are only 8 of officers in the u. S. Military are black. That is really, in the year 2020, perhaps a disgrace, but a big problem that austin may be able to have some influence on. Why is it such a problem . U. S. Military is supposed to look like america. If you cannot recruit america into the u. S. Military, if people are not comfortable serving, if they dont have the opportunities, you see the erosion of a volunteer force that looks like america. Austin will be an importance signal in what he says and does to try to ensure in 2020, there is diversity in the ranks. I want to pick up on your last point. Admiral kirby, this is for you, when president elect biden was teeing up the secretarydesignee, just given all your years, to, use barbaras words tragic that theres been so few black and brown men and women to really break through that level. How would having the first black secretary of defense really change, improve the dynamic at dod . I think it will send a powerful signal to our africanamericans and people of color in the United States that the military is a viable career path, it is a place to do where you will be welcome in your talents and skill can be found use, put in defense of the country. Having somebody of his stature and his color at the head of the Defense Department also sends a powerful signal to our allying and partners about how inclusive we want to be as the United States military in defense of our principles around the world and how representative how seriously we take that responsibility to be representati representative. Again, i think he as extremely qualified in any regard, but particularly as an africanamerican, i think its a good time. And i think well be asking ourselves, what took us so long to get to this point . And nia, for you, hes in a coat and tie, a civilian, talking about how he hung up his uniform the last time four years ago, and he was making clear the distinction is important. The quote i come to this new role as a civilian leader with military experience. The issue is will he be granted this waiver . A lot of democrats on the hill gave jim mattis a hard time. Now they have a democrat in the white house, whether the same be in the reverse . Will democrats equally give general austin a tough time . What say you . Listen, i think theyre going to have a hard time denying this historymaking candidate, who came off so well today, who talked about the history of africanamericans in the american military, how thats been difficult at times and a representation at the upper ranks hasnt always been what it needed to be, as Barbara Starr talked about. Sitting here, seeing not only austin, but then Vice President elect talk about him, talked about him as someone who could rebuild and renew global alliances, these two barrierbreaking candidates, a nominee and the Vice President elect, it was a remarkable moment in american history. I had to kind of sit up and say my goodness, look at what we are seeing with these two americans at this point in history, its delayed, its much later than it should have been given the long history of africanamericans being in this country, participating in this country, contributing to this country, but my goodness, what aday we have seen here with these two folks who are going to the highesti echelons of american powers. Austin here at the pentagon. We dont often think about africanamericans contributions to the military. I think the wider public certainly doesnt. They might not know about buffalo soldiers. They oftentimes might not know that white men were put in charge because of racism. They probably didnt know the name of henry flipper, born a slave, and then got an appointment to westpoint. Its something that i think if youre a democrat youre going to have a hard time saying no to this person who served his country so well and symbolically is also so important. That story all the way from thomasville, georgia, 1877, to present day, full circle with the retired general. Thank you all for all of that. I appreciate you. Breaking News Coverage continues here on cnn this afternoon as the u. S. Preparing to roll out the first vaccine ever for the covid virus, and the president is still promising to intervene in the election results, eve after the laser devastating rebuke from the Supreme Court. And First Lady Melania Trump is now saying she just wants to go home. Mom, why do we always come here for the holidays . How did you find greatgrandmas recipe . Were related to them . Were portuguese . I thought we were hungarian . Grandpa, can you tell me the story again . Behind every question is a story waiting to be discovered. Im committed to making a difference in peoples lives. My team helped expand the benefits of reflective technology, so its highly visible when it needs to be, and less visible when it doesnt. 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So help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. If your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. That allimportant fda meeting to considering grant emergency use authorization happens tomorrow. If approved, the chief operating officer of operation warp speed, that is just the first round of shots, but in a sign of confidence, he has already begun shipping out the necessary syringes and supplies. After we all watched, right, the extraordinary pictures out of the uk yesterday, the first people in the world getting the covid vaccine, here is how the health team responded when they were asked who actually should get the first shot here in the u. S. . Who will be the first if thats done publicly . Do you have any sense of where that dose will be administered or what type of person will receive it . A Healthcare Worker . A Frontline Worker . Im just curious. Now you make me feel as if we should. General . Weve been so focused on speed, getting it out, deferring to the governors. We have been deferring to the governors, deferring to the jurisdictions in the cities, so we probably do need to make a plan for, you know, who will get it first. If the fda grants the emergency use of the Pfizer Vaccine for tomorrow, within 24 hours, trucks will be rolling out to airports. Thats what were hearing from the chief of logistic, chief operating officer added this moments ago. I gave permission to already distribute needles, dilutants and other supplies which is required to support the vaccine. Distribution will be completed by friday. Cnn Health ReporterJacqueline Howard is here. Are the states ready to administer it . Reporter thats the question. You know, brooke, states are going to have to face tough challenges, heres why. If you like at the weigh thor shipments will be those locations include hospital, your local cvs, your local walgreens, but we know that some states will no have enough vaccine doses and those shipments to vac nate all Health Care Workers, and their states. Those are the two priority groups that are expected to receive the vaccine first. We do know, for instance alaska and alabama, they plan to vac nate both Health Care Workers and longterm it residents. These decisions, brooke, have to be made quickly, because like you said, we could see the vaccine authorized within days. This is the timeline we expect in the next few days. Tomorrow is the big Fda Advisory Committee meeting to look at the covid19 data from pfizer, and authorization can happen days after that. These shipments could be delivered as early as december 15th, on tuesday. So, brooke, the clock is ticking. It is. I was talking to an m. D. Last hour, and say if it gets a green light tomorrow, when could people get the shots . And she was saying potential next week. We have the executive director of the committee to protect medicare. Dr. Davidson, welcome. Same question to you. If the vaccine does get the green light tomorrow, fda approves it, how quickly do you think it can reach the first persons arm . Were being told by our hospital and our hospital system, as early as next week as well. Early, mid next week. Ill be ready. Whenever theyre ready, ill have my sleep you have and put on my first arm, if thats available. Thats what i was going to ask you. Some doctors are saying i may way, but youre ready to roll the second its available . I am. Committing to my photo, sharing it on social. Im asking my other Healthcare Provider who is part of that first wave, to do so as well. We need to show people we trust the science, we trust our fda to not put it out there if we dont believe its safe, and its our way out of this thing. Do they all share your eagerness . I would say the vast majority of other physicians and in i have spoken with legally do. Certainly some people always have trepidation when it comes to anything new like this. Thats okay. I think we have room for a variety of opinions, but i think that most of us are ready to go, and we need to share that enthusiasm, that trust with the people who trust us. There is the issue just educating people, yes, there are side effects, yes, that is normal, number one, but we have learned in the clinical trials, pfizer excluded people with a history of severe reactions to the vaccine, and in the uk we know theres two Frontline Workers who did have reactions. Does anyone who is watching who has allergic reaction to vaccines just will never get the shots . Its hard to know. This is new, so we have to certainly protect people who should be protected. We dont know whats coming down