Pentagon spokesman Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced Friday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized since Monday due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure.
The department confirmed for the first time that Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Ryder said Friday it was not clear when Austin would be released from the hospital, but he said he is “recovering well and plans to return to full duty today.”
He said it was an “evolving situation” and the department did not publicize Mr. Austin's absence due to privacy and medical concerns.
Ryder said in a statement that Kathleen Hicks, the deputy secretary of defense, is “ready to act on behalf of the Secretary of Defense and exercise her authority at any time as necessary.”
Austin, 70, spent 41 years in the military, retiring as a four-star Army general in 2016.
