The Pentagon’s second in command, Defense Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, was unaware that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was within the hospital when she assumed a few of his duties early final week, in accordance with a senior army official.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder revealed in a press release on Friday that Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center final Monday, following problems with an elective medical process.
A senior protection official instructed Fox News that Austin initially supposed to make money working from home through the first week of January.
The press was not instructed of the information for days due to “medical and personal privacy issues,” Ryder famous.
PENTAGON FACING BACKLASH OVER FAILING TO DISCLOSE SEC. AUSTIN’S ILLNESS: ‘HARMS CREDIBILITY’
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin participates in a gathering with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on the Pentagon on June 23, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Also saved out of the loop for days had been President Biden, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the White House Chief of Staff, different senior White House officers and the second in command on the Pentagon.
Hicks, who was on a beforehand scheduled trip in Puerto Rico was not instructed Austin had been hospitalized till Thursday. As quickly as she discovered her senior was hospitalized, she deliberate to place out a press assertion and return to Washington, D.C. on Friday, a senior U.S. protection officers confirmed with Fox News. Despite her plans, Hicks was instructed Austin would resume his duties on Friday.
Although Hicks was instructed of Austin’s hospitalization on Thursday, Ryder mentioned, “certain operational duties” had been transferred to her on Jan. 2.
DEFENSE SECRETARY AUSTIN HOSPITALIZED FOLLOWING SURGERY COMPLICATIONS
U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks speaks throughout a September eleventh Pentagon Staff Memorial Observance ceremony on the Pentagon courtyard on September 8, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“On the afternoon of January 2, the Secretary of Defense transferred to the Deputy Secretary of Defense certain operational responsibilities that require constant secure communications capabilities,” Ryder mentioned. “This transfer occurs from time-to-time and is not tied chiefly to health-related matters. The deputy secretary keeps a complete suite of communications and capable staff with her at all times, regardless of geographic location.”
A senior protection official added that Hicks instantly instructed workers to draft the general public assertion and congressional outreach.
“Deputy Secretary Hicks made some routine operational and management decisions for the Department over this period and was fully authorized and ready to support the President on other military matters, should the need have risen,” the senior protection official mentioned.
GOP SENATORS OUTRAGED OVER ‘SHOCKING BREAKDOWN’ RELATED TO DEFENSE SEC LLOYD AUSTIN’S SECRET HOSPITALIZATION
The Pentagon is seen from a flight taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The information got here as tensions remained heightened within the Middle East when a U.S. strike killed 4 members of an Iran-aligned militia group in Baghdad and two suicide bombs in Iran left not less than 103 individuals useless. Israel additionally continued its bombardment of Gaza whereas Austin was hospitalized.
Austin stays hospitalized at Walter Reed, in accordance with Ryder. He added {that a} date for his launch shouldn’t be but out there.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
It remains to be unclear why Austin was hospitalized within the first place, or what the elective process was or when it occurred.
Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
