A Pentagon report on the hospitalization of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the temporary transfer of authority during that time found nothing to indicate "ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate," officials or the public.
The review, which was conducted by the director of the Office of Administration and Management, notes that Austin's staff was restricted "in three significant ways" during his hospitalization due to complications from a procedure to treat prostate cancer.
"First, medical privacy laws prohibited medical providers from candid sharing of medical information with the Secretary's staff," the review stated. "Second, for privacy reasons, his staff were hesitant to pry or share any information that they did learn. Third, the Secretary's medical situation remained in flux and as long as he remained in the Critical Care Unit, timely secured communications could not be assured."
Austin has ordered the implementation of all eight of the review's recommendations, including requiring training or communications plans to ensure that officers and their staffers are aware of their duties and the proper procedures during a transfer of authority.
"All of these actions demonstrate our deep commitment to strengthening our internal processes without delay," Austin said on Monday in a memo detailing the review's recommendations. "As I have repeatedly stated, we are a learning organization, and we will continue to strengthen our processes as we identify ways to improve upon our existing procedures."
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement: "The chiefs of staff for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary have issued written guidance and conveyed reporting expectations to make routine how information flowing to the Secretary is shared with the Deputy Secretary and immediate staff."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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