Retired four-star Army general Lloyd Austin, has been appointed as the first African American defense secretary shattering a racial barrier for the nation at a time when the military is assessing possible extremism in its ranks after the Capitol riot and reshaping the force to counter China. The Senate confirmed Austin in a 93-to-2 vote, giving the incoming Pentagon boss a near-unanimous bipartisan congressional mandate as he sets about overseeing the 2.9 million service members and civilians around the world who fall under the umbrella of the Defense Department. “It’s an...