WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized since Monday due to complications following a minor medical procedure, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said Friday. It was the department's first confirmation that Austin had been admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center – five days earlier.
Ryder said Friday it was not clear when Austin would be released from the hospital, but said the secretary was “recovering well” and added that he expected to “resume his full duties” on Friday.
The Pentagon's failure to disclose Austin's hospitalization contradicts standard practice among 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, the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.
“The fact that he has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for four days and the Pentagon is only now alerting the public late Friday evening is a scandal,” the PPA said in its letter. “At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military personnel in the Middle East and the U.S. plays a key national security role in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is especially important that the American public stay informed about health status “and decision-making ability of its top defense leader.”
Iran-backed militias have repeatedly fired drones, rockets and missiles at bases hosting U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria, prompting the Biden administration to retaliate on several occasions. These attacks often involve sensitive discussions and decisions at the highest levels by Austin and other key military leaders.
The U.S. is also the lead organizer of a new international maritime coalition that is deploying ships and other assets to patrol the southern Red Sea to deter ongoing attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi fighters in Yemen.
In addition, the Biden administration — Austin in particular — has been at the forefront of efforts to provide Ukraine with weapons and training, and he has also frequently communicated with the Israelis about their war against Hamas.
Ryder said this is an “evolving situation” and for privacy and medical reasons, the department has not made Austin's absence public. He declined to provide further details about Austin's medical procedure or health condition.
In a statement, Ryder said that Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks was “ready to act on behalf of the minister and exercise his authority at any time when necessary.”
Austin, 70, served in the military for 41 years and retired in 2016 as a four-star Army general.