The odds on front runner is Michele Flournoy …..
She is no stranger to the Pentagon, having served as a Undersecretary there in the Obama admin recently, but going back alm0st 30 years….
She would be the first woman American Defense Sec…..
We are gonna have these names for Biden cabinet posts ‘floated’ out to the media for reaction for the next few months ….
Michele Flournoy, a politically moderate Pentagon veteran, is regarded by U.S. officials and political insiders as a top choice for the position.
Her selection would come on the heels of a tumultuous Pentagon period that has seen five men hold the top job under President Donald Trump. The most recent defense secretary to go was Mark Esper, who was fired by Trump on Monday after pushing back on issues including troop withdrawals and the use of the military to quell civilian unrest.
If confirmed, Flournoy would face a future that is expected to involve shrinking Pentagon budgets and potential military involvement in the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine.
Democrats have long sought to name a woman to the top post in a department that didn’t open all combat jobs to female service members until about five years ago. Flournoy had been the expected choice of Hillary Clinton if she had won the 2016 election. Her name surfaced early as a front-runner for Biden’s Cabinet, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
Seen as a steady hand who favors strong military cooperation abroad, Flournoy, 59, has served multiple times in the Pentagon, starting in the 1990s and most recently as the undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012. She serves on the board of Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense contractor, which could raise concerns from some lawmakers. But her moderate views would likely ensure wide bipartisan support in a position that requires Senate confirmation….
Update….
The Washington Post does a follow-up on the Biden Admin policy look going in….
A Biden presidency is expected to strike a relatively steady course at the Pentagon, seeking to restore stability in military decision-making while reemphasizing alliances and pressing ahead with efforts to respond to China’s rise….
…
Biden’s national security team will attempt to bring greater predictability to the Pentagon, analysts said, following a period of leadership upheaval and high-level vacancies that has included President Trump’s decision to fire his fourth defense secretary, Mark T. Esper, after the Nov. 3 election and elevate White House loyalists at the Pentagon.
Promising a break with often chaotic foreign policy, the new administration is expected to strike a less adversarial stance against Iran, which Trump has depicted as a chief American adversary. As part of its plan to revive international cooperation, Biden’s campaign opened the door to rejoining the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, which Trump abandoned….
image….marketwatch.com
Why wasn’t Michele Flournoy chosen as the next U.S. Defense Secretary? She seemed like a lock for the job.
…
A New York Times piece indicated that along with the draw of diversity, the personal connection between the president-elect and the general might have contributed to his nomination. The article points out that Biden’s son Beau sat next to Austin during church services in Iraq, and Biden and Austin spent hours discussing the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
But that experience in Iraq may be what best prepares Austin to address the incoming president’s top priority: defeating COVID-19.
“The next secretary of defense will need to immediately quarterback an enormous logistics operation to help distribute COVID-19 vaccines widely and equitably,” Biden wrote in The Atlantic.
“Austin oversaw the largest logistical operation undertaken by the Army in six decades—the Iraq drawdown.”…
More…
I had thought she would be the best choice out of those mentioned for Biden.
It was clear though that there was a demand to put an African-American in one of the top four Cabinet positions.
Yes…
So did I….
But read the linked piece….
The final decision for Biden seems to be something most bosses do….
Pick someone qualified that they trust and are familiar with and comfortable with….
That was Austin…..