Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric M. Smith underwent successful open-heart surgery on Monday, according to the service branch.
Smith, who went into cardiac arrest on Oct. 29, had surgery on Monday to repair a bicuspid aortic valve in his heart. He’s in “good condition,” the Marine Corps update said, adding that he will return to full-duty status following his rehabilitation. Until then, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, will continue to perform the duties of the commandant.
The detailed notification of Smith’s surgery stands in sharp contrast to the hospitalization of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who has been hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Jan. 1.
Austin was brought to the hospital that day due to complications with a Dec. 22 elective procedure, but it’s unknown what procedure he had and what the complications were. Details regarding his hospitalization remain shrouded in mystery, even as Austin acknowledged over the weekend that he “could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed.”
The secretary’s hospitalization was a closely kept secret for days. He was hospitalized last Monday, but the White House was not informed until Thursday, while relevant congressional leaders were not notified until Friday, shortly before the Pentagon spokesman shared a statement with reporters that evening.
One of the contributing factors to the delayed notifications was the absence of Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, who was out with the flu last week. Magsamen was one of a handful of close DOD officials who knew of Austin’s hospitalization on Tuesday, but they did not notify the White House or Congress.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks temporarily assumed some of Austin’s responsibilities as secretary of defense last Tuesday, a day after Austin was admitted to the hospital. She was unaware until Thursday that the reason she was given those authorities was that Austin was hospitalized. Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, said it’s not uncommon for Austin to delegate certain authorities to Hicks, which is why she was not tipped off that something was amiss when Austin did that.
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The defense secretary’s front office is evaluating whether any legal notification procedures were violated, Ryder told reporters on Monday. They are also looking into whether to change any relevant notification procedures.
The White House is standing behind Austin despite the lack of transparency regarding his health condition, though he’s facing criticism from congressional leaders of both parties.
