Pentagon Watchdog to Investigate Austin’s Hospitalization

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Oct. 12, 2023. (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images)

The Pentagon is opening an investigation following the failure of its top civilian leader to notify President Joe Biden about changes in the chain of command during an emergency medical procedure.

The investigation into Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s lack of communication with the White House will begin this month, according to a memo published by the office of the Pentagon inspector general.

“The objective of the review is to examine the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities, and actions” related to the secretary of defense’s hospitalization, according to the memo.

The inspector general will also seek to “assess whether the DoD’s policies and procedures are sufficient to ensure timely and appropriate notifications and the effective transition of authorities as may be warranted due to health-based or other unavailability of senior leadership.”

The investigation is the latest in a contentious saga in which Mr. Austin was hospitalized and transferred his duties to a deputy without communicating his absence or illness to other officials, including the president.

Absence Under Scrutiny

Mr. Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in mid-December 2023 and had elective surgery to remove the cancer on Dec. 22, 2023.

He began experiencing severe pain from complications of that surgery on Jan. 1, however, and was admitted to an intensive care unit at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center.

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Mr. Austin transferred his duties to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico at the time, and didn’t inform her of the reason.

The White House wasn’t told of the hospitalization until Jan. 4.

Congress wasn’t notified of the situation until Jan. 5, and the White House didn’t learn of the cancer diagnosis until Jan. 9.

“Nobody at the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at the time.

Mr. Austin has said he takes full responsibility for the lack of communication.

During a Jan. 9 press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration had no plans to remove Mr. Austin from his post and that he had taken “ownership” of the incident.

“The president respects the fact that Secretary Austin took ownership for the lack of transparency,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said. “He also respects the amazing job he’s done as defense secretary and how he’s handled multiple crises over the last almost three years now.”

The Pentagon initially appeared to blame the incident on several staffers. Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder initially said on Jan. 8 that four top aides were aware of the incident and failed to notify the White House until two days later.

Mr. Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, he said, was sick with the flu at the time and thus wasn’t in regular communication.

Bipartisan Support for Inquiry

Democrats and Republicans alike have expressed deep concern over the incident, as Mr. Austin holds military command authority second only to the president.

Of key concern is the strife-ridden geopolitical situation, with wars raging in the Middle East and Europe, and the effect that having a broken chain of command could have during a crisis.

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, said the president should consider removing Mr. Austin from the position because of the national security implications.

Likewise, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that solving the issue of how to communicate such events was “not a partisan issue.”

“This doesn’t need to happen again. We are thankful that nothing so serious happened during this incapacity of the secretary that national security suffered,” Mr. Wicker said during a Jan. 11 press briefing.

“But it is a learning experience I hope for the administration—and for the secretary—and an opportunity for us to make sure this never happens again.”

The White House has issued a memorandum mandating that Cabinet heads inform the president when they are unable to perform their duties or are delegating them for another reason.