He will temporarily transfer his authority to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is scheduled to undergo a medical procedure on Friday evening, the U.S. Department of Defense has announced.
Pentagon press secretary and U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the procedure is an elective and minimally invasive follow-up non-surgical procedure related to a previously identified bladder condition. The Pentagon spokesman said Mr. Austin has determined that he will be temporarily unable to perform his duties during the course of this procedure and that he will temporarily transfer his authority to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
The DOD’s decision to publicly announce Mr. Austin’s scheduled medical procedure comes after a recent revelation that Mr. Austin underwent multiple hospitalizations without clearly notifying President Joe Biden or other members of the U.S. government of his reasons for his absence.
Mr. Austin, 70, underwent surgery to treat prostate cancer on Dec. 22, 2023. Mr. Austin had not notified the president about the diagnosis or the surgery at the time. Instead, Mr. Austin’s office notified the White House and Ms. Hicks of a transfer of authority but did not reveal the reason such a transfer was needed.
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