Reuters Gen. Lloyd Austin greeting the final convoy of US troops to leave Iraq in 2011.

A man who was once described as an "invisible general" who holds master's degrees in both education and business management is in charge of the military operations against the jihadist group Islamic State and the Al Qaeda franchise Khorasan in Syria and Iraq.

A Department of Defense spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider in an email Tuesday that General Lloyd J. Austin III was the "combatant commander" of the operations in both countries through his role as the Commander of US Central Command .

As CENTCOM commander, Austin oversees the US military presence in 20 countries in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. His role means Austin is leading the military operations in Syria and Iraq and heads the strategic planning for the efforts to fight ISIS and Khorasan in both countries.

View photos ISIS air strikes Syria Reuters map More

Reuters Update. Map of Iraq and Syria showing the Islamic State's area of control, support, and attack zones. Includes location of latest airstrikes.

The US began airstrikes against Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL, in Iraq last month. On Monday night, the US launched strikes against ISIS and the Khorasan group in Syria. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama made the decision to expand the operations to Syria after meeting with Austin at CENTCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida last Wednesday.

"The president was briefed on the plan that had been developed when he was at CENTCOM by General Austin and other military leadership," Earnest said. "The following day is when he gave the authorization to move forward with those strikes. And at that point, it shifted to the discretion of the commander, General Austin."

The New York Times reporter Ernesto Londono dubbed Austin "an invisible general" in a profile earlier this month because, "unlike several of his predecessors, General Austin has kept a low profile."

Londono said Austin's penchant for privacy has helped him rise through the ranks because "the invisible commander is the type of general the Obama administration appears to favor these days."

"He shuns the limelight, largely avoids engaging in politics and seldom speaks to the press, often declining interviews. In an age when many generals tweet and blog, he most certainly does not," Londono wrote of Austin.

According to his official biography, Austin, 61, is from Thomasville, Georgia. He attended the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. In 1975, after he graduated, Austin became an Infantry second lieutenant.

In addition to his studies at West Point, Austin's official biography notes he earned "a Master's Degree in Education from Auburn University and a Master's Degree in Business Management from Webster University."

Austin was assigned to Defense Department headquarters at the Pentagon in 1999 after serving at Fort Bragg, where he held multiple command positions and eventually became vice chief-of-staff of the Army. At the Pentagon, Austin also had multiple command roles, and he served as the commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom from February 2008 until April 2009.

After a stint as the director of the Pentagon's joint staff, Austin served as commanding general of US forces in Iraq from September 2010, and he oversaw the American withdrawal from the country in December 2011.

During his 39-year military career, Austin has earned a long list of awards and decorations including the Silver Star and the Defense Distinguished Service Medal.