Oath of Office On board an Air Force E-4B bound for Singapore, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III administers the oath of office to Ely Ratner, the Defense Department's new assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, July 25, 2021. Austin is on a week-long trip to reaffirm defense relationships and conduct bilateral meetings with senior officials in Singapore; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Manila, Philippines. SHARE IMAGE: Download Image: Full Size (1.04 MB) Tags: Defense Secretary , Austin Photo By: Chad McNeeley, DOD VIRIN: 210725-D-TT977-0078.JPG Photo Gallery