The Pentagon introduced on Sunday that Protection Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III had been taken that afternoon to a army hospital to be handled for “signs suggesting an emergent bladder difficulty.”
Mr. Austin was taken to Walter Reed Nationwide Navy Medical Heart in Bethesda, Md., 2:20 p.m., a Pentagon spokesman, Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, mentioned in a press release. He added that the deputy protection secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees had been notified, in addition to the White Home and members of Congress.
Common Ryder mentioned Mr. Austin, 70, was “retaining the features and duties of his workplace.” If required, he added, the deputy protection secretary, Kathleen H. Hicks, would assume these obligations.
The announcement seemed to be aimed toward displaying transparency round Mr. Austin’s medical situation and stressing the truth that a number of prime officers throughout the U.S. authorities had been knowledgeable.
Mr. Austin got here below widespread criticism final month when he went to the hospital for a number of days for therapy for issues associated to a current prostate most cancers surgical procedure. He had initially saved his hospital go to a secret from prime administration officers, together with President Biden, the White Home nationwide safety adviser, the secretary of state and senior officers within the Pentagon, together with these instantly below him within the workplace.
Mr. Austin additionally had not knowledgeable the president that he had undergone the unique surgical procedure in December.
Lawmakers known as for the Pentagon to offer solutions on why so many officers had been saved in the dead of night. Mr. Biden mentioned on Jan. 12 that he nonetheless had confidence in Mr. Austin. However when the president was requested whether or not it had been a lapse in judgment for Mr. Austin to not have knowledgeable him that he had been out of fee, Mr. Biden mentioned “sure.”
Mr. Austin, a retired four-star Military normal and former commander of the US Central Command, had served within the army for greater than 40 years when he took the highest Pentagon job in 2021. All through his profession, he has sought to keep away from consideration and has tried to maintain many elements of his life out of the general public highlight.
Common Ryder mentioned the Pentagon would supply an replace on Mr. Austin’s situation as quickly as attainable.
