Defense secretary’s aide requested ‘subtle’ ambulance service in 911 call

An aide for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked during a 911 call on Jan. 1 that an ambulance arrive to pick Austin up without lights or sirens, according to audio of the call. The 70-year-old’s trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, and his ensuing hospitalization, remained secret for days - with even President Biden kept in the dark.

“Can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? We’re trying to remain a little subtle,” the aide said on the recording, which was obtained by Reuters and heard by The Washington Post. The aide’s name was redacted from the recording.

The 911 dispatcher replied, “Usually, when they turn into a residential neighborhood they’ll turn them off,” but added that the driver is legally required to keep them on while transiting main roads.

Austin’s hospitalization and the secrecy surrounding it have garnered significant international interest. The situation was not disclosed publicly for four days and sparked controversy once it was revealed that the United States’ top defense official had undergone two hospitalizations and surgery after a prostate cancer diagnosis, but had not notified the White House or Pentagon staff. He was released from the hospital on Monday.

During the U.S. airstrike on Baghdad early Jan. 4 that killed an Iran-linked militia commander - an operation that Austin had recommended the previous week - the White House and other defense officials were unaware that he was in the hospital, The Post reported.

The situation also triggered debate about whether top government officials have a right to privacy on serious medical matters and came at an inopportune time for the Biden administration, which is enmeshed in a crisis in the Middle East as well as a reelection campaign.

Austin, a retired four-star Army general, is known to be intensely private, a disposition that may have influenced how he handled his medical affairs, his colleagues suggested to The Post. “It’s in his DNA: be stoic and noble - in this case, maybe to a fault,” said one person who knows him well and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the events.

Austin learned in early December that he had early-stage prostate cancer, which was considered very treatable. On Dec. 22, two days after returning from a tour of Middle Eastern capitals, he underwent general anesthesia for a prostatectomy and returned home the next day.

At the time, he had taken steps to temporarily transfer authority for certain operational matters to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, but did not disclose the diagnosis or surgery to his chief of staff or others, The Post reported.

On Jan. 1, Austin was rushed to the hospital for treatment for complications from the surgery, suffering nausea and intense pain in his midsection. From his hospital bed, he retained his responsibilities overseeing the U.S. military.

The next day, he was sick enough that his doctors placed him in intensive care - prompting another transfer of authority to Hicks, who was not aware until Jan. 4 of the defense secretary’s condition. Biden was briefed on the situation later the same day.

In response to a reporter’s questions last week, the president agreed that the incident was a lapse in judgment but confirmed he still had confidence in Austin.