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Update: NBC is reporting that Secretary Austin was admitted to the ICU for 4 days, and the deputy Secretary of Defense assumed his role while on vacation. More to come

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, 70, was hospitalized for nearly a week at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to post-procedure complications.

Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder stated that Austin is “recovering well” and expected to resume full duties, with the Deputy Secretary of Defense ready to assume responsibilities if needed. He added that Secretary Austin had an “elective medical procedure.”

The decision to elevate the accessible sum was disclosed after a meeting of officials in Beijing. The central bank of Argentina clarified, “The procedure has begun to increase the usable amount by another 35 billion yuan”. This boost will be activated once the initial tranche of the extension, utilized for commercial exchange between the two countries, is depleted and upon agreement between the two parties.

The Pentagon has remained tight-lipped regarding the specifics of Austin’s condition during his hospitalization, citing medical and personal privacy for the delay in public notification. This lack of transparency, amidst active conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, has drawn criticism from the Pentagon Press Association.

In a statement, the Pentagon Press Association said, “It falls far below the normal disclosure standards that are customary by other federal departments when senior officials undergo medical procedures or are temporarily incapacitated. The public has a right to know when U.S. Cabinet members are hospitalized, under anesthesia or when duties are delegated as the result of any medical procedure. That has been the practice even up to the president’s level. As the nation’s top defense leader, Secretary Austin has no claim to privacy in this situation. At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader.”