A question of judgment
Dear Editor,
One of the more surprising revelations of this new year harkens back to December 22 when our secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, while under general anesthesia at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, underwent a prostatectomy, a surgery to treat prostate cancer. Following his discharge on Dec. 23 to work from home, Austin developed a urinary tract infection which required an emergency admission to the intensive care unit of Walter Reed on January 1.
The surprise aspect results from the White House not know about Austin’s hospitalization until after a pre-approved U.S. military retaliatory air strike against a militia target in Baghdad had occurred on January 4. Even though some senior staff, as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, had been informed on January 2 of the hospitalization, it was two days later when White House Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was notified, and he then informed the president of Austin’s patient status.
It was Jan. 5 when congressional notifications began while the Pentagon issued the first public statement regarding Austin’s hospitalization and recovery due to complications from a “recent elected medical procedure.”
The next day, the defense secretary stated his medical care and acknowledged media concerns about a lack of transparency.
He stated that he could have done better to ensure the public was informed, but “this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.”
Reportedly in the spirit of that non-apology, when Austin and President Biden spoke by telephone that same day, Austin did not reveal his cancer diagnosis. It was not until January 9, following the Defense Department’s release of a statement from Austin’s doctors outlining facts about his medical care, that the president learned of the cancer treatment.
All of this begs the question - who in the administration knew what and when regarding Austin’s absence of leadership? To say the least, the necessary role of the secretary of defense is to be available at a moment’s notice to serve as the crucial link between the president and our combatant commanders.
Despite having temporarily transferred some authorities to the deputy secretary of defense on both Dec. 22 and Jan. 2, Austin is facing bipartisan criticism for creating a leaderless moment by going AWOL for several days and keeping facts from pertinent government officials.
Austin created a breakdown in the chain of command regarding national security. His choice to maintain secrecy and create a lack of transparency at a time when the U.S. is contending with a myriad of security crises necessarily brings into question the level of competency existing throughout the administration.
At the time of this writing, Secretary Austin’s doctors anticipate a full recovery while indicating that progress can be slow. Although Austin remains at Walter Reed, he can perform his duties. He has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor the Department of Defense's day-to-day operations worldwide.
As president, Biden prizes continuity in personnel, especially at a time of multiple security crises, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby’s recent statement that there is “no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job,” seems to be an expression of clear confidence.
Nevertheless, I remain skeptical of Secretary Austin’s judgment, not only because of his recent obfuscation of health issues but also due to the advice he provided to the president during the summer of 2021.
Many people still feel that the secretary of defense ignored key intelligence that then contributed to a chaotic troop withdrawal from Afghanistan resulting in deaths of service personnel as well as both Americans and allied partners being left behind. I’m one of them.
Peter Wibell, Rutledge