Defense Secretary Austin is hospitalized in intensive care

[BugI02]

When I first read this I thought it was all overblown. OF COURSE I don't want our nations enemies knowing the times or details of the Secretary of Defense being put in a vulnerable position. That would be stupid. Maybe I'm setting the bar too high for government...?

Now, in decency to the gentleman and his family I don't care what party he belongs to, he is fighting prostate cancer and all the best to him. From the posted timeline I am guessing that he went in for a procedure and when he got out he had complications that required his re-admittance. It is also reasonable to guess that this wasn't expected and so no one notified the chain of command. A likely oversight.

There should be a light investigation to see if this was just human error or policy oversight. I'm guessing a judgement error that whomever was supposed to report this didn't think he'd be in that long but, oops.

Regards and Happy New Year,

Doug

The things you wish to excuse or overlook often amaze me

It was an elective procedure, not some life-saving emergency surgery. The SecDef was under anesthesia and unable to perform his duties and he knew that would be so, but he did not inform his deputy so there would be someone available and prepared to perform his duties if an emergency arose while he was out of commission. He didn't advise his CinC either. That would and should get you cashiered in peacetime, let alone in the middle of two hot wars and numerous insurgencies including direct attacks on US forces in Iraq and the Red Sea

Then his supporters have the arrogance to play the race card to try to save his job, pushing the fiction his job is only on the line because he is a successful black man. It's not that, it's that he is Bowie Bergdahl with more ribbons. If he was still directly subject to the UCMJ he would already be out of a job

He is a critical link in a response to a nuclear attack, and the time spent attempting to contact him for orders could make all the difference in the very short time window within which to respond

 

[JAL]

When I first read this I thought it was all overblown. OF COURSE I don't want our nations enemies knowing the times or details of the Secretary of Defense being put in a vulnerable position. That would be stupid. Maybe I'm setting the bar too high for government...?

Now, in decency to the gentleman and his family I don't care what party he belongs to, he is fighting prostate cancer and all the best to him. From the posted timeline I am guessing that he went in for a procedure and when he got out he had complications that required his re-admittance. It is also reasonable to guess that this wasn't expected and so no one notified the chain of command. A likely oversight.

There should be a light investigation to see if this was just human error or policy oversight. I'm guessing a judgement error that whomever was supposed to report this didn't think he'd be in that long but, oops.

Regards and Happy New Year,

Doug

It's nothing to do with having surgery for any reason. It's him being nowhere to be found for almost two weeks.
The Secretary of Defense is the #2 person in the National Command Authority chain of command for dissemination of orders for the use of Nuclear weapons. You have about 15 minutes from detecting inbound missiles to act with a retaliatory strike to attempt to prevent a second wave.

Order and Authentication from POTUS with Authentication carried out at each level in the chain:
POTUS -->Sec'y Def.-->Combatant Command(s) (most likely STRATCOM)-->Subordinate Commanders
It doesn't go through the Joint Chiefs and hasn't since 1986

The Secretary is also #6 in succession to POTUS, and is a key member of the National Security Council (NSC). The BIG DEAL is nobody knowing the location and how to immediately contact a very critical person regarding the National Security and Defense of the country when a response decision to an emergency that threatens the nation could be required within a few minutes. At least someone knows where POTUS is at all times, even if he's busy getting his diapers changed.

 

[bwframe]

 

[Alamo]

JAL and Big covered this well, but it is a really important point.

Keeping the bad guys confused about where the SECDEF is is an OK for opsec, but it is not OK to keep the rest of the US government confused. When you were in those kind of jobs, your personal life takes a seat in the back of the bus, and the chain of command and their staff needs to know where everybody is every second. A former four star should know this even if his demented boss does not.

It sucks for him that he has prostate cancer, and if he needs to step back and deal with that, then he needs to make sure his part of the chain is kept linked up. If that means recalling somebody from vacation so she can be available in case his problem goes south or **** kicks off in the world, that’s what it takes. And you damn sure make sure everybody above you and below knows what the situation is.

and yes, the fact that no one else above or below noticed is an even bigger fiasco. Failure at multiple levels.

 

[bwframe]

Last I heard, Austin was still in the hospital?

When he can stand in front of a podium, best way for Austin going forward is to "retire for health reasons." Everyone would feel sorry for him rather than looking at his abysmal record of failure after failure after failure.

Biden could then appoint Nikki Haley for the gig.

 

[phylodog]

Another glorious chapter in the Biden Presidency. I'm sure his second term will be glorious, or Michelle's first term, I'm not sure yet which one comes next but one of the two will be even more glorious.

 

[bwframe]

Austin is back to work. No worries now...

 

[bwframe]

Apology, but not resignation. Dems don't resign...