Biden will nominate retired General Lloyd Austin as defense secretary - transition statement

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Barack Obama sits next to Commander of Central Command Gen. Lloyd Austin III during a briefing from top military leaders while at U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, September 17, 2014. REUTERS/Larry Downing

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Joe Biden will nominate retired General Lloyd Austin, who oversaw U.S. forces in the Middle East under President Barack Obama, to be his defense secretary, Biden's transition team said in a statement on Tuesday.

"With a distinguished record of military service spanning four decades, Secretary-designate Austin is a deeply experienced and highly decorated commander who has served with distinction in several of the Pentagon’s most crucial positions," the statement said.