U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was able to return home from hospital on Monday.
This follows post-operative complications Austin started to experience earlier this month. He was readmitted to hospital – in intensive care – on New Year’s Day after undergoing prostatectomy – a major surgery to treat prostate cancer in December 22nd last year.
However, the 70-year-old defense secretary failed to notify the White House nor the public of his diagnosis, and a memorandum was issued last week which prompted the Pentagon inspector general to investigate Austin’s hospitalization due to unavailability of senior leadership.
For 3 days, the White House was without a secretary of defense. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks was on vacation in the Caribbean by the time she was informed to fill in for Austin.
It can be noted that he was still in hospital when both the United States and the United Kingdom launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen last week.
Speaking to reporters last Friday, President Joe Biden said Austin’s failure to notify the White House of his diagnosis was a “lapse in judgment” but the president said he still has full confidence in the defense secretary.
At the moment, the Pentagon chief is being advised by doctors to recuperate and continue his duties remotely for the time being before returning full-time to the Pentagon.
The 70-year-old defense secretary will have full access to required secure communication capabilities.
Meanwhile, Austin thanked all the medical staff who looked after him at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
