{"id":2146548,"date":"2024-01-11T14:03:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T19:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-inspector-general-announces-review-of-austin-going-mia\/"},"modified":"2024-01-11T14:05:32","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T19:05:32","slug":"pentagon-inspector-general-announces-review-of-austin-going-mia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-inspector-general-announces-review-of-austin-going-mia\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon Inspector General to Investigate Austin&#8217;s Disappearance"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpentagon-inspector-general-announces-review-of-austin-going-mia%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2146548&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Department of Defense Inspector General Launches Review into Defense \u200cSecretary&#8217;s Hospitalization<\/h2>\n<p>The inspector \u2063general of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/department-of-defense\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Department of Defense<\/a> (DoD) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dodig.mil\/reports.html\/Article\/3642418\/project-announcement-review-of-secdef-hospitalization-notification-procedures\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced<\/a> \u200bon Thursday a review into the handling of the secretive\u2063 hospitalization of Defense Secretary \u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/lloyd-austin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lloyd Austin<\/a>,\u2064 the \u200dlatest in a wave of investigations spawned out of the scandal.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Robert\u2063 Storch, the Pentagon\u2019s independent watchdog, <a href=\"https:\/\/media.defense.gov\/2024\/Jan\/11\/2003374367\/-1\/-1\/1\/REVIEW%20OF%20SECDEF%20HOSPITALIZATION%20NOTIFICATION%20PROCEDURES%2020240110.PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote in a memo<\/a> \u200cthat he would examine the sufficiency of the DoD\u2019s policies and procedures for \u201ctimely \u200band appropriate notifications\u201d and \u201ceffective transition\u201d of \u2064authorities due to health or other reasons\u2063 for senior\u200c leadership to\u200c be unavailable.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe [inspector general] may revise or expand \u200dthe objective and scope as the review proceeds,\u201d Storch wrote, adding later, \u201cWe will perform the review at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. We may \u2062identify additional \u2063offices and personnel who might \u2063have information relevant to our review.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Calls\u2063 for Resignation and Investigations<\/h3>\n<p>Lawmakers on\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/house-democrat-joins-calls-for-austin-to-resign\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">both sides of the aisle<\/a> and former President Donald Trump have called for Austin <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepStefanik\/status\/1744376476718215542\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to \u200cresign<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/trump-calls-on-biden-to-fire-defense-chief-for-dereliction-of-duty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">be \u200dfired<\/a> over the defense secretary going AWOL last week over what has since been revealed to \u2064have been \u2063a hospitalization for complications following a December\u2062 procedure\u2062 to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-thom-tillis-says-he-will-undergo-surgery-for-prostate-cancer\/\" title=\"Sen. Thom Tillis Says He Will Undergo Surgery For Prostate Cancer\">treat prostate cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The DoD first conceded publicly on Friday that Austin\u200c had been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/biden-has-full-confidence-in-austin-wont-accept-resignation-if-offered-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">admitted<\/a> to Walter Reed National\u2062 Military\u200c Medical Center on January 1, and it soon emerged \u2063that the Pentagon press corps, Congress, White House officials, and \u200beven some top DoD \u2064officials were kept in the dark for days.<\/p>\n<p>Reports that followed disclosed how\u200c Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/deputy-who-assumed-defense-secretarys-duties-was-not-told-about-his-hospitalization-for-days-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">temporarily \u2064assumed<\/a> some of Austin\u2019s duties without being\u200c informed of Austin\u2019s \u200chospitalization, and a\u2064 Pentagon spokesman pinned\u2064 the late notification \u200bto the White \u200dHouse on\u200b Austin\u2019s chief of \u200dstaff <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/biden-has-full-confidence-in-austin-wont-accept-resignation-if-offered-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">also being ill<\/a>. White\u2063 House officials <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/press-briefings\/2024\/01\/10\/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-and-nsc-coordinator-for-strategic-communications-john-kirby-january-10-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">revealed<\/a> they did not even know \u2062about the cancer \u2062until this\u200c week.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1700760801843000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG\">CLICK HERE\u200c TO GET \u200dTHE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>The White House has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/white-house-launches-cabinet-protocol-review-after-defense-sec-goes-awol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ordered a review<\/a> of Cabinet protocols while the DoD <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/24355754-notification-process-for-assumption-of-functions-and-duties-of-the-secretary-of-defense__8-jan-24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced its own review<\/a> of\u200b records and communications to examine what happened \u200cinternally when Austin got hospitalized and to come up with recommendations\u2063 on how to improve \u201ctimely notification\u201d to \u2062the White \u2064House, Congress, and the\u2062 public when \u201ccertain authorities\u201d are transferred. In the GOP-led House, a panel \u200chas <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/house-panel-launches-probe-into-defense-secretary-going-awol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">begun a \u201cformal inquiry\u201d<\/a> while at least one member is trying to \u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/house-republican-announces-bid-to-impeach-defense-secretary-austin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">impeach<\/a> the defense\u200b secretary.<\/p>\n<p>Austin said in a statement over the weekend that he was on the mend and conceded that \u2063he could have \u201cdone a \u200dbetter job ensuring the public was appropriately informed.\u201d He added, \u201cI commit \u200bto doing better. But this is important to\u2064 say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my \u200bdecisions about disclosure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>White \u200cHouse officials said \u200dthis week that President Joe Biden has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CXv5EwRAKRs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201ccomplete confidence\u201d<\/a> in Austin and plans to keep the secretary\u2063 in place through \u2062the remainder of\u200d his term despite it being \u201cnot optimal\u201d that \u200bthe commander-in-chief \u200band other \u200cleaders\u200b did not know\u2062 what happened \u200cfor \u200bso long.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What prompted the Department of Defense Inspector \u200cGeneral to initiate a \u2064review into Defense Secretary Lloyd \u2064Austin&#8217;s hospitalization?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The Department of Defense Inspector General (DoD IG) has initiated a review into the handling of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&#8217;s hospitalization, \u2064announced on Thursday. This review is part of a series of investigations \u2062that have been triggered by the scandal surrounding Austin&#8217;s undisclosed hospitalization.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Storch, the independent watchdog for the Pentagon, \u2062outlined in a memo\u200c that the review\u200b will assess the \u2064adequacy of the DoD&#8217;s policies and \u200dprocedures\u200b regarding timely and appropriate notifications, as well as the effective transition of authorities in cases where senior leadership is unavailable\u2063 due to health or other reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Storch further stated\u2064 that the objectives and scope of the \u2063review may be revised \u200bor expanded as the investigation progresses. The\u2064 review \u2064will be\u2064 conducted at the Office of\u2063 the Secretary of Defense, but\u2064 additional \u200boffices \u200band personnel \u2062who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-seeks-answers-from-hunter-biden-linked-firm-accused-of-illegal-foreign-lobbying\/\" title=\"GOP wants answers from Hunter Biden-linked firm accused of illegal foreign lobbying\">possess relevant information<\/a> may also \u200bbe identified and included in the review.<\/p>\n<p>Calls for Austin&#8217;s resignation or removal have come from both sides of the political aisle, as well as\u200c former President \u200bDonald Trump. These demands were prompted by \u200bAustin&#8217;s \u200dabsence last week, which \u200cwas later revealed\u2064 to \u2064be a hospitalization for\u2063 complications following a procedure to treat prostate\u200d cancer in\u2062 December.<\/p>\n<p>The DoD initially acknowledged\u200d Austin&#8217;s admission to Walter Reed National Military \u2063Medical Center on January 1 on Friday. Subsequently,\u2063 it\u200c was revealed that the Pentagon press corps, Congress, White House officials, and even \u2063some senior DoD officials were unaware of Austin&#8217;s \u200chospitalization for several days.<\/p>\n<p>Reports emerged that \u200bDeputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks assumed some of Austin&#8217;s duties temporarily without being informed \u200babout his hospitalization. The delayed notification to the White House was attributed\u2064 to Austin&#8217;s chief of staff also being unwell. White House officials \u200cadmitted that they were unaware of the defense secretary&#8217;s cancer diagnosis\u200c until recently.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 initiation\u2062 of the \u200dDoD IG review aims to shed light on the \u2064protocols and communication practices surrounding the hospitalization of senior Defense Department officials. This review will provide insight into any\u200d possible shortcomings \u200din \u2063the notification procedures and transitions of authority \u2063within the department&#8217;s leadership structure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The DoD&#8217;s inspector general will review Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&#8217;s secretive hospitalization. This investigation is part of a series of inquiries stemming from the scandal. In a memo, Robert Storch, the Pentagon&#8217;s independent watchdog, stated that he will assess the adequacy of the handling of the situation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1588,"featured_media":2146549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2146548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2146548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2146548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2146548\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2146549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2146548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2146548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2146548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}