{"id":77436,"date":"2024-01-05T22:26:31","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T22:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/01\/05\/defense-secretary-hospitalized-for-surgery-complications\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T15:55:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:55:36","slug":"defense-secretary-hospitalized-for-surgery-complications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2024\/01\/05\/defense-secretary-hospitalized-for-surgery-complications\/","title":{"rendered":"Defense secretary hospitalized for surgery complications"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin went into the hospital on Monday for complications following an elective surgery, the Pentagon announced Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was expected to resume his full duties Friday evening, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was an evolving situation, and taking privacy into account,\u201d Ryder told Military Times of the decision not to disclose Austin\u2019s health status when he was first hospitalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been filling in where necessary, Ryder said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe deputy has conducted some routine business for department on his behalf,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That includes a Jan. 4 strike in Iraq<\/a> on a militia group tied to recent attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The intentional lack of public disclosure comes in stark contrast to another senior leader\u2019s recent hospitalization, when Marine Commandant Gen. Eric Smith suffered a heart attack in October<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t