Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Tuesday, concluding a short stay that commenced on Sunday.
According to a statement from the Pentagon, Austin has fully recovered and resumed his duties on Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.
Austin was admitted to Walter Reed on Sunday because of a bladder issue connected to his prostate cancer surgery in December 2023. Doctors reassured that his bladder problems are unrelated to his cancer diagnosis and will not impact his prognosis.
In a similar fashion to his previous hospitalization, the disclosure of his latest stay came after a period of secrecy. Austin had checked into the hospital on January 1st, but failed to inform President Joe Biden and other top officials for three days. As a result, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks took on some of Austin’s responsibilities on January 2nd, while senior White House aides, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, remained unaware of Austin’s hospitalization until they were notified by the Defense Department on January 4th.
Austin recently handed his official duties to Hicks on Sunday for his hospitalization, as confirmed by the Pentagon press secretary, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder. The Pentagon has informed the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the White House, and Congress about Austin’s release on Tuesday.
Doctors advised Austin to work from home while recovering, before returning to the Pentagon later in the week. While working remotely, Austin has complete access to both unclassified and classified communications systems in order to fulfill his obligations.
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