US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged in a statement on Saturday that he bears "full responsibility" for the confidentiality surrounding his prolonged, week-long hospitalization due to an undisclosed medical condition.
The 70-year-old Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on New Year's Day for what the Pentagon referred to as "complications following a recent elective medical procedure." This information was deliberately withheld by the Defense Department for five days.
As the second-highest-ranking official in the US military hierarchy, Austin's role demands his immediate availability to respond to national security crises. The extent to which his responsibilities were delegated to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks during his absence and whether Austin participated in crucial decision-making processes remain uncertain.
The Pentagon has not disclosed the specifics of Austin's medical treatment, whether he experienced loss of consciousness during the past week, or provided details about his expected release date.
In a written statement, Austin expressed recognition that he could have better ensured public awareness and committed to improving communication. He emphasized that the decision to maintain secrecy was related to his personal medical procedure, and he assumed full responsibility for the disclosure choices.
A spokesperson confirmed on Saturday that while Austin had resumed his full duties on Friday evening, he remained hospitalized.
The Pentagon Press Association conveyed dissatisfaction in a letter to Pentagon officials on Friday evening, condemning the Defense Department's lack of transparency. It argued that Austin, as a public figure, had limited claims to medical privacy in such circumstances. The association also pointed out that even US presidents disclose delegations of duties due to medical procedures.
Against the backdrop of mounting threats to US military service members in the Middle East and the nation's pivotal role in the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine, the association underscored the importance of informing the American public about the health status and decision-making capacity of the top defense official.
Phil Stewart, a Reuters correspondent, and member of the association's board of directors, criticized the decision to release information on a Friday evening, traditionally a time of lower online readership, stating that it contradicted the Pentagon's own Principles of Information and failed to meet the standards of public disclosure for senior government officials unable to fulfill their duties.
The Military Reporters and Editors (MRE), a non-profit organization representing journalists covering the US military, echoed these sentiments in a statement, characterizing the delayed release of information as a departure from the Pentagon's own transparency principles and a failure to meet the standards for public disclosure in such situations.
