Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Needs To Resign Today For An Inexcusable Lapse of Judgment That Could Have Had Severe Consequences For The Country

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WASHINGTON — Amid tensions in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized, including spending four days in the intensive care unit, according to two senior administration officials.

The Defense Department did not inform senior officials in the White House’s National Security Council of Austin’s hospitalization until Thursday — three days after he arrived at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a U.S. official confirmed. Politico first reported the delay.

Austin was admitted to the hospital Monday night for “complications following a recent elective medical procedure,” the Pentagon press secretary, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, said in a statement Friday evening.

Austin released a statement Saturday taking responsibility for not disclosing his condition sooner.

"I am very glad to be on the mend and look forward to returning to the Pentagon soon. I also understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better," Austin said. "But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.”

President Joe Biden spoke with Austin on Saturday evening, according to a senior administration official, who indicated it was the first phone call between the president and Austin since his hospitalization.

When I first read this story, I was sure that there had to be more to it. I was sure that someone who spent as long as Secretary Austin did in the military would remember one of the two lessons taught repeatedly. 

Namely, the two paramount priciples. 

Safety and communication. In a time with so much global unrest, it's not exactly the time to have a sick and uncommunicative Secretary of Defense. 

There are more than 45 armed conflicts are currently taking place throughout the Middle East and North Africa in the following territories: Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Yemen and Western Sahara.
All other things flow through those two. It's not like things are calm across the globe. 

There's also Africa. Africa has more than 35 non-international armed conflicts (NIACs) taking place in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.

Asia currently has19 non-international armed conflicts (NIACs) involving 19 armed groups. These are happening in Afghanistan, India, Myanmar, Pakistan and The Philippines.

Two international armed conflicts – between respectively India and Pakistan, and between India and China – are also taking place in the region.

 Taking place in Europe, four out of seven conflicts: Russia is currently occupying Crimea (Ukraine), Transdniestria (Moldova), as well as South Ossetia and Abkhazia (Georgia), while Armenia is occupying parts of Nagorno Karabakh (Azerbaijan).

That being said, what should President Biden do? That old man needs to fire Llyod Austin today. He should have done it yesterday or the day before. You absolutely cannot be secretive or just plain stupid in that position. You can't. The President of the United States needs to know if his fucking Secretary of Defense is in the hospital. 

Hell, I'm just a dumb-ass blogger. When I had a mild heart attack about 7 years ago, I texted Dave, Erika, and Big Cat on my way to the hospital because my podcast was gonna be a few hours late. I wasn't exactly running the military, just a military podcast which some say is pretty fuckin close. 

When President Biden met with Austin, here was the result. 

“It was a warm conversation,” the senior administration official said. “The president wished him the best in his recovery and said he looks forward to seeing the secretary back at the Pentagon soon.”

What? A warm conversation?

My friends, if ANY other leader did that, there would be hell to pay. If any company commander, battalion commander, brigade commander, regiment commander, or division commander failed to disclose a hospitalization, they would be fired in a second for loss of faith and confidence. 

That should happen too. Maybe the President has lost faith and confidence in Sec Austin but I sure as shit have.