Title: Pentagon Reviewing Process Following Delay in Notification of Secretary's Health
The Pentagon is conducting a review of its notification processes after a delay in informing President Biden about Secretary Austin's health condition. The Secretary had been admitted to the hospital for prostate cancer treatment.
During a press briefing, Major General Pat Ryder addressed questions regarding the timeline of events. He stated that the specifics of an honor cordon scheduled to take place at the Pentagon on Thursday were unknown. However, he assured reporters that the Department would assess the Secretary's schedule and make appropriate adjustments as needed. He also highlighted that the day-to-day activities of the Department would continue, with the Secretary conducting his duties remotely from the hospital.
The exact time when President Biden was notified of Secretary Austin's hospitalization remains unclear. Major General Ryder referred journalists to the White House for further details regarding the President's awareness of the Secretary's condition.
Questions were raised about why it took two full business days for an official statement to be released following the return of the Secretary's Chief of Staff on Thursday. Major General Ryder acknowledged the delay and stated that there were deficiencies in the notification process, including delegating responsibilities when key personnel were unavailable. The ongoing review aims to identify areas for improvement to ensure greater timeliness and transparency in keeping stakeholders informed of the Secretary's health situation in the future.
It is worth noting that the delay in informing the President was attributed to the Chief of Staff's illness with the flu, which impacted the reporting to the Deputy Secretary's staff and the National Security Advisor. Major General Ryder emphasized that the review would help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
In conclusion, the Pentagon is currently undertaking a review of its notification processes following the delay in notifying President Biden about Secretary Austin's hospitalization for prostate cancer treatment. The Department aims to enhance the timeliness and transparency of communication regarding the health status of senior officials. Updates will be provided as the review progresses to ensure a more efficient handling of such matters moving forward.
