US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been discharged from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
This was reported by the press service of the Pentagon.
Austin is returning to duty, but will be working remotely. The Minister is doing well but will be at home for some time. He is expected to return to full-time work at the Pentagon this week.
The doctors noted that the minister no longer needed intensive care, so he was discharged. The bladder problem was unrelated to his cancer diagnosis and will not affect his positive prognosis in the fight against cancer.
- On January 5, 2024, the Pentagon spokesman first announced that Lloyd Austin had entered the intensive care unit on January 1. Until that moment, almost no one knew about the health of the Secretary of Defense, not even the President of the United States. This secrecy surrounding Austinʼs illness has greatly angered the White House and Congress: it is customary to notify the president and other high-ranking officials, and Austinʼs absence without explanation poses a threat to national security, since Austin plays a key role in it and must immediately respond to any crisis.
- The Pentagon said that Austinʼs illness was not reported because it was a "deeply personal" matter. It turned out that the minister has prostate cancer, which was detected at an early stage. He was operated on. Later, he was hospitalized again due to a urinary tract infection, and on February 12, for the third time.
- A Rammstein format meeting is scheduled for February 14. On February 13, it was reported that it had been moved online. On the website of the Pentagon, there is already an announcement of Austinʼs introductory speech to the 19th meeting of "Ramstein", that is, he will take part in the meeting.