WASHINGTON: A senior official at the US Defense Department was not briefed about the hospitalization of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin when she assumed duties on January 2, Western media reported on Sunday.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks was not informed until two days later that the Defense Secretary had been admitted on New Year’s Day to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
As per reports citing a US official only President Joe Biden was informed about the hospitalization.
Austin comes just below Biden in the chain of command of the US military and his duties require his availability at a moment’s notice to respond to any matter of national security crisis.
US media reported that General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was also not informed about Austin’s hospitalization until Tuesday.
Austin, who is 70, in a statement said that he took full responsibility for the secrecy of week-long hospitalization for a still unspecified medical condition. The CBS on Sunday reported that Austin remains in the hospital.
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Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said during a press conference on Sunday said he is not aware of Austin’s medical issue adding that he had spoken to him.
It is not clear that which of Austin’s duties were delegated to Hicks, or whether Austin was involved in any key decision-making process during his hospitalization.
The Pentagon has yet to provide detail about Austin health condition and far he is being treated.
Democratic Representative James Clyburn on Sunday told CNN that he had been informed that Austin is now in charge of things as he was before the illness.
