On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was once-again hospitalized on Sunday, this time for a non-specified bladder issue.
Austin, who drew criticism last month for failing to disclose a December hospitalization, was later transferred to critical care at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to the Pentagon.
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“He is still at the hospital and receiving treatment,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
Austin initially retained his powers as Secretary of Defense, but eventually decided to transfer his official command powers to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, at 4:55pm.
Despite transferring Austin to critical care, doctors believe that he will make a full recovery, and that the incident will not impact his battle with prostate cancer.
“The current bladder issue is not expected to change his anticipated full recovery. His cancer prognosis remains excellent,” said the Medical Center.
Prior to the hospitalization, Austin was scheduled to leave on Tuesday for two meetings in Brussels, Belgium, with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defense Ministerial.
This hospitalization follows a month after Austin was secretly hospitalized in early January, suffering from complications resulting from a surgery meant to address his prostate cancer.
That incident led to widespread criticism of Austin, who initially concealed his condition and hospitalization, even from the White House. At the time, Austin did not transfer his official command powers to a subordinate, despite being incapacitated, raising questions about how his medical treatments may have impacted U.S. military preparedness.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has been far more open about the current situation, after Austin acknowledged that he was at fault for keeping the previous incident from the president and the public.
“I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people,” said Austin in a February 1 interview.
