WASHINGTON — A critical report from the Pentagon Inspector General was made public on Wednesday, highlighting Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s lapse in notifying the White House and his senior team about his hospitalization in early 2024, which the report claims posed an unnecessary risk to national security.

Austin, who faced complications after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer, chose to conceal his medical status and the fact that he had been incapacitated under general anesthesia from President Joe Biden and Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.

Robert Storch, the Pentagon Inspector General, stated that Austin’s oversight in proper notification procedures put national security at risk.

“While we did not find any negative impacts on Department of Defense operations due to the handling of the hospitalizations, the risk to our national defense, particularly concerning the command and control of the Department’s critical security functions, was unnecessarily heightened,” Storch explained.

A Defense official, speaking to reporters under anonymity, asserted that there was no disruption in command and control during Austin’s treatment, as authority was effectively delegated to Hicks. A second official, also unnamed, claimed that despite some potential risks, nothing major went wrong at the Pentagon.

The Pentagon has initiated actions to rectify these concerns, Storch noted, yet emphasized that further measures are still necessary. The report indicated that Austin agreed to implement 20 recommended changes from the Inspector General.

“These measures are essential to guarantee the Department of Defense’s preparedness, transparency, and mission achievement,” Storch said. “These enhancements are not merely bureaucratic; they are critical for operational and national security.”

Austin’s Strong Desire for Privacy

The report emphasized Austin’s determination to keep his health matters confidential.

“Secretary Austin not only failed to inform Deputy Secretary Hicks and his senior staff about his medical status and appointments, but he also instructed a junior staff member that anyone with questions should feel free to ask him directly. This statement likely discouraged further inquiry,” the Inspector General’s report noted.

Austin has expressed regret for his oversight regarding the notifications about his hospitalization.

The watchdog found that “Austin’s intense wish for privacy regarding his medical issues is a common theme in all reviewed events, including his public comments on his hospitalization.”

Information about his initial surgery and the fact that he was under general anesthesia was withheld from Hicks, his chief of staff, and his senior military assistant, as well as Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“A staff member depicted Secretary Austin as being ‘deadly serious’ about maintaining his medical confidentiality,” the report stated.

Even after notifying his senior staff about the necessity of transferring his authority to Hicks on January 2, they were unaware of the seriousness of his condition due to the lack of direct means to reach him. When they sought his guidance, Austin expressed a desire for “‘zero contact’ unless it was the President,” according to the report.