The inspector general found that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks mismanaged protocols during his 2024 hospitalization for prostate cancer treatment. In a ...

Neither Austin’s chief of staff nor Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks knew of his cancer diagnosis or the procedure he underwent in December 2023. In fact, OIG notes that "nearly all of ...

Austin III (Secretary Austin), to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks (Deputy Secretary Hicks), during Secretary Austin’s hospitalizations in December 2023, January 2024, and February ...

had sought to keep his condition and the fact that he had been incapacitated while under general anesthesia secret from President Joe Biden and Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks. Robert ...

But Austin “did not transfer his authorities” during that period, the review found, nor did he inform Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks or his chief of staff of the procedures.