Lloyd Austin is popularly known as a retired United States Army four-star general who has been serving as the 28th United States Secretary of Defense since January 22, 2021. Before attaining this position, Austin served in other areas as the 12th commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), 33rd vice chief of staff of the Army from January 2012 to March 2013, and as the commander of United States Forces – Iraq from September 2010 to December 2011. He has been married since 1990. In this post, we will take a look at who Lloyd Austin’s wife, Charlene Banner is. Keep reading to find out more about her.
Lloyd Austin Biography
Austin was born on August 8, 1953, in Mobile, Alabama but was raised in Thomasville, Georgia. His parents are Lloyd James Austin Jr., a postal worker, and Aletia Taylor Austin. He was 5th of 6 children born to his parents.
In his education, Austin graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1975. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in counselor education from Auburn University’s College of Education in 1986, and a Master of Business Administration in business management from Webster University in 1989. Austin is also a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College.
Lloyd Austin’s Military Career
Austin’s military career began around June 1975. During that time, he had graduated from West Point and was commissioned in the Infantry as a second lieutenant. After his assignment and attendance at the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Austin was given another role in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Here, he commanded the Combat Support Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry and served as the Assistant S-3 (Operations) for 1st Brigade.
From September 2003 until August 2005, Austin also served as Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division, with duty as Commander, of Combined Joint Task Force 180, during the War in Afghanistan. He also served as Chief of Staff of US Central Command at MacDill AFB, in Tampa, Florida, from September 2005 until October 2006.
Austin was also promoted to Lieutenant General and assumed command of XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina on 8 December 2006. Two years later in February 2008, he became the second highest-ranking commander in Iraq, taking command of the Multi-National Corps – Iraq (MNC-I). As commander, Austin directed the operations of approximately 152,000 joint and coalition forces across all sectors of Iraq.
At a ceremony at Al-Faw Palace in Baghdad on 1 September 2010, Austin was promoted to the rank of General, becoming the Army’s 200th four-star general officer and the sixth African American in the U.S. Army to achieve the top rank. He later took over as the Commanding General (CG) of United States Forces – Iraq (USF-I). As CG, USF-I, Austin was the senior military commander in charge of all US and remaining coalition forces in Iraq
On 22 March 2013, Lloyd Austin became the commander of CENTCOM after being nominated by President Obama in late 2012. His role was to ensure the deployment of United States troops around the area of Middle-East and Central Asia and some parts of South Asia. The area of command consisted of 20 countries including Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Egypt and Lebanon
On 22 January 2021, Austin became the 28th United States Secretary of Defense.
Who Is Lloyd Austin’s Wife, Charlene Austin?
Lloyd Austin and Charlene Denise Banner Austin have been married for over 40 years since 1990. She is also a board member of the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University. She also serves on the Board of Governance for United Way Suncoast based in Tampa Florida and the Advisory Committee for the United Way Suncoast -Mission United Project.
The couple has no child together however, Lloyd Austin has two stepsons.
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