US defence secretary’s deputy, Kathleen Hicks, took over thinking Austin was on vacation when he was in intensive care – unknown to even the president
The US defence secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalisation remained secret for longer than previously known, officials disclosed on Sunday, with his deputy on a long list of people up to President Joe Biden who were in the dark for days.
The Pentagon released new details on Sunday about Austin’s continued hospitalisation, saying he had an initial medical procedure as far back as 22 December from which he went home a day later.
Then on Monday 1 January, Austin, who is 70, had to be admitted to intensive care at Walter Reed military hospital in Maryland after experiencing severe pain.
Deputy defence secretary Kathleen Hicks assumed some of his operational duties on Tuesday 2 January, while she was on vacation in Puerto Rico, a US official said. But Hicks was not told why Austin was unavailable until Thursday 4 January, three officials told Reuters. That is the same day that Biden and other senior White House officials were told that Austin had been hospitalised since Monday 1 January, five officials said.
Hicks was in Puerto Rico on leave but had communications equipment with her to remain in contact and had already been tasked with some secretary-level duties by Tuesday 2 January.
Austin sits just below Biden at the top of the chain of command of the US military, and his duties require him being available at a moment’s notice to respond to any national security crisis. That includes always being ready to enter secure communications with other officials in the event of an incoming nuclear attack – something that would be difficult to do from an ICU bed.
