Lloyd J. Austin III has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Monday, but is “recovering well and is expecting to resume his full duties,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
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During Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III’s time in the hospital, his deputy has been prepared to act in his stead, a Pentagon spokesman said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has been in the hospital since Monday, after complications from a recent elective medical procedure, the Pentagon said on Friday.
Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, declined to elaborate on the source of Mr. Austin’s medical issues, citing patient privacy. But in a statement on Friday, General Ryder said the defense secretary, who is 70, is “recovering well and is expecting to resume his full duties today.”
During Mr. Austin’s time in the hospital, Kathleen Hicks, the deputy defense secretary, “was prepared to act for and exercise the powers of the secretary, if required,” General Ryder said in the statement.
Mr. Austin is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., General Ryder said.
Helene Cooper is a Pentagon correspondent. She was previously an editor, diplomatic correspondent and White House correspondent. More about Helene Cooper
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Source: nytimes.com
