On the same day Donald Trump was declared the winner in the 2024 election, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sent a memo to all Defense Department personnel that promised an orderly transition to the new administration and that the military would "continue to stand apart from the political arena."

The department will make a calm, orderly, and professional transition to the incoming Trump administration," Austin wrote in the memo, which was publicly released by the Pentagon on Thursday. "As it always has, the U.S. military will stand ready to carry out the policy choices of its next commander in chief, and to obey all lawful orders from its civilian chain of command."

The memo comes as the Trump campaign begins planning its transition and staffing for the Pentagon and other federal agencies, and begins to weigh who could fill top positions such as secretary of defense, a position that is confirmed by the Senate. Trump will be sworn in as president in January.