When the deputy secretary of defense assumed some of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s responsibilities on January 2, she was unaware that Austin had been hospitalized, according to two defense officials who spoke with CNN.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, holding the second-highest position at the Pentagon, remained uninformed about Austin’s true whereabouts until three days after he checked into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to complications from elective surgery. Even President Biden was not aware of Austin’s hospitalization until three days into his stay, as previously reported by CNN.
The revelation that Hicks, a senior leader, was kept in the dark about Austin’s hospitalization is likely to raise questions within the administration about the decision to keep his status confidential, not only from the public but also from high-ranking national security officials and the White House.
Austin underwent an elective medical procedure on December 22 while on leave, as explained by Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary.
Although he returned home the next day, on January 1, he experienced severe pain and was subsequently transported to Walter Reed via ambulance. the deputy secretary
Ryder stated that Austin was initially placed in the hospital’s intensive care unit for immediate access to medical care but remained there, in part due to hospital space considerations and privacy.
Gen. C.Q. Brown, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, was informed on January 2, a day after Austin’s hospitalization, but he is not in the chain of command. The military service secretaries, who are part of the chain of command, were not notified until January 5, four days after Austin checked into the hospital.