Military

Austin Back to Work at Pentagon After Brief Medical Procedure for Bladder Issues

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III at Arlington National Cemetery

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underwent a short medical procedure Friday to help address a bladder issue, according to the Pentagon.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced in an emailed statement that Austin "underwent a successful, elective, and minimally invasive follow-up nonsurgical procedure related to his bladder issue at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, which lasted approximately 2.5 hours."

The disclosure comes just months after it was discovered that Austin quietly underwent treatment for prostate cancer without notifying either the White House, lawmakers or the public, causing an uproar from Congress ^[1] and calls for his resignation.

In the statements that the Pentagon released Friday, Ryder noted that, while Austin was undergoing the procedure, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks served as the acting defense secretary. After the procedure, Ryder said Austin "resumed his functions and duties as the secretary of defense at 8:25 p.m. ET and has returned home."

Ryder said that Austin's bladder issue was not related to his recent cancer diagnosis. However, the disclosures about his treatment are a direct result of Austin's failure earlier this year to be transparent about treatment for cancer with Congress and the president.

Austin was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and underwent a prostatectomy on Dec. 22 to treat it. However, he developed complications, and on Jan. 1 he was taken in extreme pain by ambulance to Walter Reed, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit.

The Pentagon finally made the news public ^[3] several days later.

At the time, Ryder blamed a series of issues -- including Austin's chief of staff coming down with the flu and his own failure to follow up -- for the public and key government officials being unaware the defense secretary not only had cancer but was sidelined at Walter Reed.

Austin stayed at Walter Reed until Jan. 15 and then recovered at home, finally returning to the Pentagon on Jan. 29.

A subsequent review ordered by Austin's chief of staff into the Pentagon's own handling of the situation did not find "any indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate," according to a three-page unclassified summary released in late February ^[4]. Instead, the review found that the secretary's staff "were hesitant to pry or share any information that they did learn" about Austin's health because of concerns about his privacy.

Republicans on Capitol Hill ripped into Austin at his first public hearing before them on Feb. 29, and called his behavior "totally unacceptable," an "embarrassment" and "an extreme lack of leadership."

"Our adversaries should fear us," said Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind. "And what you've done is embarrass us."

Banks then went on to argue that Austin's initial three-day absence, which occurred without the president knowing, suggested "the president is that aloof or you are irrelevant."

Austin was seen publicly on Monday ^[5] when he spoke during the Memorial Day observance in Arlington National Cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater with President Joe Biden and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown Jr.

© Copyright 2024 Military.com. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Military.com, please submit your request here ^[7].

Navy Lt. Orson L. Crandall > U.S. Department of Defense > Story

Thanks to World War I and the advent of the submarine, U.S. naval divers mastered how to make and survive deep ocean dives. But by the 1930s, they were still trying to figure out how to successfully rescue survivors from sunken vessels.

They finally

Medal of Honor Monday: Navy Lt. Orson L. Crandall

Navy Lt. Orson Leon Crandall and three other master divers rescued nearly three dozen sailors from a sub that sank during a training incident. Crandall's expertise and calmness under pressure earned him the Medal of Honor.

Defense Secretary Tells US Naval Academy Graduates They Will Lead 'Through Tension and Uncertainty'

Naval Academy graduates toss their covers into the air during the 2015 Naval Academy graduation and commissioning ceremony.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told U.S. Naval Academy graduates Friday that they will be leading future sailors and Marines “through tension and uncertainty,” noting how two graduates from last year were just aboard the USS Carney in the Red Sea, where they helped shoot down missiles and drones.

The Navy has stationed multiple ships ^[1] in the Red Sea since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, which has heightened tensions in the region. The secretary said the two ensigns, who only just graduated last year, were aboard the Navy destroyer and “helped defend the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea."

“They helped those in distress at sea,” Austin said. “They helped degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia.”

The Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, has shot down ^[2] multiple rockets the Houthis have fired toward Israel during that nation’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“In fact, the Carney conducted 51 engagements in six months, which is the most direct Navy engagement with a foe since World War II,” Austin said.

The Red Sea, stretching from Egypt’s Suez Canal to the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, is a key trade route for global shipping and energy supplies.

The secretary said the two graduates from last year asked him to tell the newly minted Navy and Marine Corps officers that they were ready to serve, because the academy is “the ultimate team-building exercise.”

“And what comes next is not a drill," Austin said. "You will lead sailors and Marines through tension and uncertainty. Your teammates will look to you for leadership.”

There are a total of 1,040 graduates in the class of 2024 — 725 men and 315 women. Of them, 760 were commissioned as Navy ensigns, including 520 men and 240 women. There were 258 commissioned as second lieutenants in the Marine Corps, including 188 men and 70 women.

The newly commissioned officers will serve at least five years.

It was the second straight year Austin gave the commissioning speech at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Graduation speakers, including the president, vice president and defense secretary, generally rotate between service academies each year.

“I’m just happy that you were so eager to bring back an old West Point guy,” said Austin, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy. "And for anyone who thinks that the second installment can’t be as good as the first — hey, just think of “Top Gun: Maverick.”

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