Criticism Over Secrecy of Pentagon Chief’s Hospitalization Mounts as Austin ‘Takes Responsibility’

Earlier, the Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder revealed that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was admitted to hospital on January 1, but declined to offer any further clarification regarding the seriousness of his condition.

There has been a growing wave of censure over the secrecy that has surrounded the hospitalization of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

The Pentagon has been slammed for concealing 70-year-old Austin’s condition for four days after he was admitted on January 1 to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center over “complications following a recent elective medical procedure.” No details have been released as to what the procedure was or what complications ensued.

In an effort to smooth the situation over, Lloyd Austin himself released a statement on Saturday taking “full responsibility” for not divulging his condition earlier.

“I am very glad to be on the mend and look forward to returning to the Pentagon soon. I also understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better," Austin said, adding:

“But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.”

However, the statement did little to quell the disapproval.

“When one of the country's two National Command Authorities is unable to perform their duties, military families, Members of Congress, and the American public deserve to know the full extent of the circumstances,” said Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a member of the aforementioned committee, said that Austin “must address promptly” why the White House wasn’t informed of his hospitalization until later.

The Pentagon Press Association underscored in a letter to the Defense Department that has been shared with the media that amid the current global tensions, it was “particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader.”

Screenshot of X post showing a statement by the Pentagon Press Association.

© Photo : halbritz/X

According to the nonprofit Military Reporters and Editors (MRE), the decision to keep the hospitalization under wraps for days was "in the worst traditions of obfuscation and opacity."

"This is a violation of the intent and spirit of the Pentagon's own Principles of Information, and it fails to meet the standards of public disclosure for senior government officials unable to exercise their duties," MRE said in a statement.

On January 4, the Defense Department spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced that Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized since New Year’s Day, with his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, taking over some of his duties. On January 5, Austin reportedly resumed full duties while still remaining in hospital.

However, the hospitalization was purportedly kept secret even from senior Pentagon officials and congressional lawmakers until Ryder’s press release.

The “vast, vast majority of leaders were unaware,” one US official was cited as saying.

When questioned why it took days for the Pentagon to notify the public about Austin’s hospitalization, Ryder said:

“This has been an evolving situation in which we had to consider a number of other factors.” He added that Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks was “prepared to act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary, if required.”