Top military officials were initially unaware of Austin's hospitalization -media
By Hannah Lang
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The number two at the U.S. Defense Department was not informed that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized when she assumed some of his duties on Jan. 2, according to a report from CNN.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks was not notified until two days later that Austin had been admitted on New Year's Day to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, CNN reported on Sunday citing two unidentified defense officials.
Reuters reported on Saturday that President Joe Biden was only informed of the hospitalization on Thursday evening, according to a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Still, Biden maintained confidence in Austin and the two spoke on Saturday evening, a second U.S. official said.
Austin sits just below Biden at the top of the chain of command of the U.S. military and his duties require his being available at a moment's notice to respond to any manner of national security crisis.
Austin, who is 70, said in a statement on Saturday that he took «full responsibility» for the secrecy surrounding an ongoing, week-long hospitalization for a still unspecified medical condition.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon said Austin remains in the hospital and is «recovering well,» noting that he resumed his full duties on Friday evening.
Politico reported that General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not learn of Austin's hospitalization until Tuesday.
The Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on when Hicks and Brown learned of Austin's hospitalization.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said during a press conference on Sunday that he «wasn't aware of his medical issue» and had spoken to Austin last weekend.
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