Updated 2:45 p.m. ET
Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star Army general, has been confirmed by the Senate, making him the first Black defense secretary in U.S. history.
The Senate approved President Biden's nomination for Pentagon chief in a near-unanimous 93-2 vote Friday.
"It's an honor and a privilege to serve as our country's 28th Secretary of Defense, and I'm especially proud to be the first African American to hold the position," Austin tweeted Friday.
"Let's get to work," he added.