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Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks listens during a media briefing at the Pentagon in November 2023.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks listens during a media briefing at the Pentagon in November 2023.

Alex Brandon/AP

  • Fallout continues after the news that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was quietly hospitalized. 
  • Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks didn't know about Austin's condition when she took over.
  • It was also several days before the White House was informed, according to reports. 

The backlash over the hushed hospitalization of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is continuing fiercely, drawing concerns about open lines of communication among the nation's top chains of command.

Tags
Military & Defense, lloyd-austin, Pentagon, secretary-of-defense, defense-department
Source
The Pentagon's second-in-command didn't know Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was…