The person who called an ambulance for Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin requested they approach his Virginia home without their lights and sirens.
Austin underwent surgery to treat prostate cancer on Dec. 22, and on Jan. 1, someone with him called 911 as he suffered from “nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain,” as his doctors have since said.
The member of his inner circle who called 911 asked the dispatcher, “Can I ask — can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Um, we’re trying to remain a little subtle,” according to the recording, the Daily Beast reported. The individual also told the dispatcher he hadn’t passed out and was alert.
The dispatcher affirmed the request, noting that “usually when they turn into a residential neighborhood, they’ll turn them off.”
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder told reporters last week that Austin’s personal security detail accompanied him to the hospital and his junior military aide was there to see him the next day.
He was suffering from complications that included a urinary tract infection and abdominal fluid collections that impaired his small intestines. He was released from the hospital on Monday, two weeks after his initial admission.
The White House, Congress, and the public were not notified of Austin’s hospitalization for days, which has raised questions about the transfer of powers, the protocols for such absences, and more. Both the Pentagon and White House have altered policies and are reviewing others for possible additional changes.
He delegated some of his authorities to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks on Jan. 2 and reclaimed them on Jan. 5, though she was not informed until Jan. 4 that he had been hospitalized. DOD officials have noted that it’s not uncommon for Austin to delegate certain authorities to Hicks for short time periods.
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He was hospitalized on Jan. 1, but the White House was not notified until Jan. 4, while Congress and the public were informed on Jan. 5. The White House was also not informed of his cancer diagnosis or the initial procedure.
President Joe Biden has acknowledged that Austin had a lapse in judgment in not informing him of the cancer diagnosis, which Austin found out about in early December but was not shared with the president until Jan. 9, but remains confident in his abilities to carry out the duties of the secretary.
