ANALYSIS – After leaving almost everyone on his Pentagon staff, his subordinate combatant commanders and even the White House in the dark about his condition and whereabouts over the New Year's weekend, Lloyd Austin is finally out of the hospital.
Joe Biden's 70-year-old Defense Secretary was discharged from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday, more than two weeks after his secretive hospitalization to treat prostate cancer and later stay to treat infection complications from surgery.
“Secretary Austin's prostate cancer was treated early and effectively, and his prognosis is excellent. He has no planned further treatment for his cancer other than regular post-prostatectomy surveillance,” the doctors said in the statement.
He was initially taken to Walter Read by ambulance. Some of his time in the hospital was in the intensive care unit (ICU).
According to the Department of Defense (DOD), Austin now “has full access to required secure communications capabilities,” and will continue conducting his duties remotely from his home until he returns to the Pentagon.
Austion's disappearance sparked a mini crisis about how his undisclosed absence could weaken America's ability to respond to global threats.
As the Daily Caller reported:
During his hospitalization, Austin transferred “certain operational authorities” that require “constant secure communications capabilities” to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told CNN. Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico at the time, had access to a secure communications suite and conducted some routine business on Austin's behalf without knowing the reasoning behind the transfer.
Not even the president was aware Austin had received a prostate cancer diagnosis in early December or the nature of the Dec. 22 surgery and ensuing complications until Tuesday.
I argued in several pieces, here, here and here, that Austin's actions amounted to dereliction of duty, a sentiment echoed by several top Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence. I also noted that former President Donald Trump called for Austin to be fired “immediately.”
Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, explained clearly:
The Secretary of Defense [SECDEF] is the key link in the chain of command between the president and the uniformed military, including the nuclear chain of command, when the weightiest of decisions must be made in minutes. If this report is true, there must be consequences for this shocking breakdown.
Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) called Austin's actions “unacceptable” and called for a congressional briefing on the matter: “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.”
Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) even called for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's resignation last week, becoming the first Democrat to publicly support the removal of the Pentagon leader.
Please note that the Defense Secretary is number two in the military chain of command, especially the nuke chain of command.
Orders to conduct nuke strikes or any major overseas operation goes from the president of the United States (POTUS) to the SECDEF who the relays them to his 4-star military combatant commanders, such as Central Command (CENTCOM) for the Middle East, or Strategic Command (STRATCOM) for nuclear weapons release.
Disappearing for a few days, just isn't an option for the SECDEF.
For this reason, the Daily Caller added: “The Pentagon's internal watchdog is investigating the circumstances surrounding Austin's disappearance, including whether he or his staff breached DOD protocol in failing to disclose the secretary's Dec. 22 or Jan. 1 hospitalizations.”
In response to the mini crisis he created, Austin said simply:
I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better, But this is important to say: This was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.
Sorry, Mr. Secretary, “doing better” next time really isn't good enough.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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