WASHINGTON – He United States Secretary of DefenseLloyd Austin, has been hospitalized since Monday due to complications resulting from a minor elective medical procedure, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, press secretary of the Pentagon.
It was the first time the department acknowledged that Austin had been admitted—five days earlier—to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Ryder said Friday that it is unclear when Austin will be discharged, but said the secretary is “recovering well and expects to fully resume activities today.”
The fact that the Pentagon failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization is contrary to standard practice with other senior U.S. and Cabinet officials, including the president. The Pentagon Press Association, which represents members of the media covering the Defense Department, sent a letter of protest to Ryder and Chris Meagher, undersecretary of Defense for Public Affairs.
“The fact that he has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for four days and that the Pentagon is so far alerting the public late on a Friday afternoon is a scandal,” the Pentagon Press Association said in your letter.
“At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East, and when the United States is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly important for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making capacity of his top defense leader.”
Ryder said this was an “evolving situation” and that due to medical and privacy concerns, the department did not make Austin’s absence public. He declined to provide further details about the medical procedure or Austin’s health.
In a statement, Ryder said that at all times, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks “was prepared to act on behalf of the secretary and exercise her powers, if necessary.”
Austin, 70, spent 41 years in the Army, retiring as a four-star Army general in 2016.
Source: AP
