Retired U.S. Army General Barry R McCaffrey has voiced criticism over the handling of Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's recent illness by Austin himself and the Pentagon. The primary issue under scrutiny is the failure to inform the White House about Austin's hospitalization.
McCaffrey praised Austin's credentials, stating, "Lloyd Austin is a superb Sec Def. Serious. Experienced. Trusted." However, he questioned the communication protocol followed when Austin was hospitalized on January 1st. He said, "When he was medevacked 1 Jan to an ICU in serious pain — his C/S should have IMMEDIATELY notified the NSC (National Security Council), the CJCS (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), and the Dep Sec Def (Deputy Secretary of Defense)… who should have returned that day to DC".
The retired general further insisted on transparency from the White House regarding this incident, saying, "The White House should today explain what the emergency with the Sec Def was in detail". He added that all senior military commanders are monitored round-the-clock and have immediate secure communications at their disposal.
McCaffrey also criticized any potential justification for not notifying key personnel about Austin's condition due to privacy concerns. He stated emphatically, "No matter what Lloyd Austin may have ordered while in severe pain in an ICU… the President and CJCS and Dep Sec Def should have been notified. There is no right to privacy in senior national security positions. This is a nuclear release chain of command."
Despite McCaffrey's critique, a White House official informed CBS News that President Biden will not dismiss Austin for failing to report his hospitalization.
Austin expressed gratitude towards his caregivers at Walter Reed in a news release: "I want to thank the amazing doctors and nursing staff at Walter Reed for the exceptional care they have delivered to me and for the personal warmth they have shown my family," he said. Austin also acknowledged the need for transparency and admitted to falling short in this regard: "I also understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better."
