U.S. Secretary of Defense hospitalized again: Pentagon officials provide details
The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin (photo: Getty Images)
The U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized again due to issues with his urinary bladder. All government leadership structures have been informed about the situation, states Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder.
According to Ryder, around 2:20 p.m. Washington time on February 11, Austin's security team transported him to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for evaluation due to symptoms indicating urgent issues with his urinary bladder.
The Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the White House and Congress, have been notified.
"At this time, the Secretary is retaining the functions and duties of his office. The Deputy Secretary is prepared to assume the functions and duties of the Secretary of Defense if required. Secretary Austin traveled to the hospital with the unclassified and classified communications systems necessary to perform his duties," the statement said.
Austin plans to chair the contact group meeting in the Ramstein format scheduled for February 14 in Brussels.
Illness and hospitalization of Lloyd Austin
In December, prostate cancer was diagnosed in the 70-year-old head of the Pentagon. On January 1, Lloyd Austin was hospitalized at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to complications following a routine medical procedure.
The Pentagon released this information only four days after the minister was admitted to the hospital. U.S. President Joe Biden stated that it was a mistake on Austin's part not to report his hospitalization.
On January 15, the minister was discharged from the hospital. Within a few days, he returned to full-time work.
