In March of 1943 Austin entered the V12 program at Stevens Institute of Technology and worked at Wright Aeronautical Corporation where his job was to test the R3350 cyclone engine.  He was activated on July 1, 1943.  During the spring and summer of 1945 he attended the V12 officer's training school at Princeton University, and at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis and the Naval Training Station at Newport, Rhode Island.  He was commissioned as an ensign on August 24, 1945  and served as an ensign and engineering officer's assistant aboard the USS Vicksburg CL-86 from August of 1945 until July of 1946.  He was honorably discharged from active duty on June 26, 1946.  He then served in the US Naval Reserves through the spring of 1947.