Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following update on Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's health status:
Secretary Austin continues to be hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and remains in good condition.
He's in contact with his senior staff and has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor DOD's day-to-day operations worldwide.
Secretary Austin was actively engaged this week in overseeing and directing the U.S. military's participation in last night's multinational strikes against military targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. At the President's direction, he gave the order yesterday to U.S. Central Command to execute the strikes and monitored the operation real-time with a full suite of secure communication capabilities. The Secretary's post-strike statement can be found here.
Today, Secretary Austin conducted phone calls with House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker, and House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith.
We do not have a specific date for Secretary Austin's release from the hospital at this time but will continue to provide daily updates until then.