Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will bid farewell in a speech Friday morning, just days before President-elect Trump is set to return to the White House. During his four years helming the Pentagon,

Judges heard nearly four hours of arguments over whether former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had the authority to unwind plea deals reached with three men accused of planning the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is bidding farewell to the forces and personnel he's led through a tumultuous term.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon on May 20, 2024, in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will bid farewell Friday to the forces and personnel he has led through a tumultuous term that had ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin bid farewell Friday to the forces and personnel he has led through a tumultuous term that had three major military crises, a global pandemic and a personal brush with cancer that became a flashpoint for the way it was mishandled.

It's unclear who'll take over at the Pentagon and the military services when the top leaders all step down Monday as President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.

1975 - Austin is commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Army upon graduation from West Point. Over the next 20 years, he holds a number of leadership positions and is stationed at bases in North Carolina, Indianapolis, New York, Germany and Panama. 1997-1999 - Commander, 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.