The Pentagon’s second-in-command didn’t know that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was being hospitalized when she started assuming a few of his duties final week, elevating extra questions concerning the beautiful lack of transparency within the four-star Army normal’s standing.
On Friday, the Pentagon revealed to the general public that Austin had been hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Monday as a consequence of issues following a minor elective medical process. The announcement got here virtually instantly after notifying Congress, and solely hours after Austin’s chief of employees reportedly knowledgeable prime navy officers of his situation in an electronic mail.
Defense Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks was apparently amongst a number of leaders ― together with President Joe Biden, the commander-in-chief ― who weren’t advised about Austin’s medical scenario till a minimum of three days after the 70-year-old checked into the hospital’s intensive care unit.
According to The Associated Press, Hicks was vacationing in Puerto Rico when she was requested to imagine a few of Austin’s obligations. Defense officers don’t essentially take into account non permanent transfers of energy to be uncommon, even when the explanation for them is unclear.
The division had a communications setup that allowed her to do her job from the island whereas Austin was hospitalized. Hicks assumed a few of Austin’s duties on Tuesday, nevertheless it was not till Thursday that she was allegedly knowledgeable of his hospitalization.
CNN first reported Sunday on the dearth of transparency for Hicks, which was later confirmed by NPR and USA Today. All three shops cited unnamed protection officers. HuffPost couldn’t independently confirm these studies.
Hicks “immediately engaged staff on the drafting of a public statement and congressional outreach” when she realized of Austin’s hospitalization, a protection official advised NPR.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated that Austin remains to be within the hospital as of Saturday evening, however resumed his full duties Friday night from his hospital mattress, in keeping with the AP.
“I want to thank the amazing doctors and nursing staff at Walter Reed for the exceptional care they have delivered to me and for the personal warmth they have shown my family,” Austin stated in a press release on Saturday. “I am very glad to be on the mend and look forward to returning to the Pentagon soon.”
“I also understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better,” he continued. “But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.”
The secrecy round Austin’s sickness ― together with its severity and the way quickly he may very well be launched ― is taken into account a particularly uncommon observe, significantly at a fragile time when the U.S. is dealing with a number of high-profile nationwide safety challenges.
Iranian-backed militias have repeatedly attacked bases the place U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq and Syria, leading to retaliatory strikes that always contain top-level selections by Austin. The U.S. can be main a brand new worldwide maritime coalition to patrol the Red Sea in an effort to push again towards industrial vessel assaults by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The Biden administration ― significantly Austin ― has additionally spearheaded the hassle to produce Ukraine with coaching and weapons of their struggle towards Russia. The secretary has additionally been in common communication with Israeli officers of their bombardment of Gaza.
The Pentagon Press Association, which represents members of the media who cowl the navy, despatched a scathing letter on Friday to the Pentagon’s public affairs heads that stated the four-day delay in saying Austin’s hospitalization “falls far below the normal disclosure standards.”
“The public has a right to know when U.S. Cabinet members are hospitalized, under anesthesia or when duties are delegated as the result of any medical procedure. That has been the practice even up to the president’s level,” the letter learn. “As the nation’s top defense leader, Secretary Austin has no claim to privacy in this situation.”
“At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader.”
