Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin — who was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 22, 2023, and launched Jan. 9, 2024 — was taken again to the identical hospital on Sunday, the Pentagon mentioned.
In an announcement, the Pentagon mentioned Austin was transported by his safety element to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center round 2:20 p.m. He “is retaining the functions and duties of his office,” in response to Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, however added that the deputy protection secretary has been notified and is ready to imagine Austin’s duties “if required.”
As a results of Austin’s December hospitalization, the White House advised Cabinet members and secretaries to inform the chief of employees if they can not report their duties.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was additionally notified, in addition to the White House and a few members of Congress.
Ryder mentioned Austin traveled to the hospital with the unclassified and categorised communications programs wanted to carry out his job.
Austin was scheduled to depart Tuesday for Brussels to carry a gathering of the Ukraine contact group, which he established in 2022 to coordinate navy help for Kyiv after Russia’s invasion. After that, Austin was scheduled to attend a daily assembly of NATO protection ministers. It was not instantly clear if his hospitalization would change these plans.
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–With reporting from the Associated Press.