Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was discharged from the hospital Monday after undergoing surgery to treat prostate cancer. This period without Austin was controversial due to the secrecy from the Biden administration.
Lloyd Austin was treated at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and is returning home to continue his recovery. The secretary of defense published a statement in which he reported the progress in his health.
"I’m grateful for the excellent care I received at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and want to thank the outstanding doctors and nursing staff for their professionalism and superb support," the secretary said in his message. "I also am thankful and appreciative for all the well wishes I received for a speedy recovery. Now, as I continue to recuperate and perform my duties from home, I’m eager to fully recover and return as quickly as possible to the Pentagon," he continued.
Absence during escalation of war in the Red Sea
While Lloyd was away from his duties due to his health, it was Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary of defense, who was in charge of his duties. Hicks was at the center of the controversy surrounding Austin's absence, as she served as head of the department for several days while the reason behind Austin's absence remained unknown.
The timing for these changes in DOD leadership could not have been less opportune. During the month of January, tension in the Middle East escalated, and the naval forces present in the Red Sea struck Houthi targets in Yemen for the first time.
Yemen's rebels continue to endanger commercial transit through the Red Sea. Also Monday, an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by the Houthis hit a cargo ship flying the Marshall Islands flag. The situation in the Middle East and the absence of Lloyd Austin at that time sparked criticism from several congressmen and politicians, Donald Trump among them.
