Two weeks after an ambulance ride and admission to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center's intensive care unit, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been released. He will be "working from home" as he recovers. There is no prognosis on when he will return to the office.

This whole episode began at the Defense Department press conference on Friday, January 5, when a written statement was released revealing that Austin was in the hospital, having been admitted on New Year's Day. 

BACKGROUND:

Joint Chiefs Chairman Knew Austin Was Hospitalized and Didn't Tell the White House or the Service Chiefs

White House Says SecDef Austin's Job Is Not in Danger and That's a Problem

NEW UPDATED UPDATE: SecDef Austin Did Not Tell Biden's National Security Adviser He Was in the ICU

UPDATE: Congress Not Told SecDef Austin Was in the ICU and His Deputy on Vacation for the Last Week

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Has Been Hospitalized for a Week and Just Told Congress Today

The AP provides a very detailed timeline at Timeline of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization.

Once the hospitalization was announced, Austin and his personal staff continued to be evasive about the reason. They stuck to the "compliations" from an "elective medical procedure" excuse until January 9 when they admitted Austin had undergone surgery for prostate cancer on December 22.

BACKGROUND: NEW: SecDef Lloyd Austin's 'Elective' Surgery Was for Prostate Cancer Diagnosed in December

He neglected to transfer his authority to his deputy either during his December 22 "elective surgery" that was conducted under general anesthesia or when he was in the ICU. Deputy Defense Secretary Katherine Hicks was delegated a few responsibilities without explanation and was not officially informed he was in the hospital until Thursday, January 4. Other senior staff and the service chiefs weren't told until two hours before the January 5 announcement. Congress was notified a mere 15 minutes before the rest of the world.

Along the way, Austin and his inner circle opted not to tell the White House or Department of State about the situation. They spread the story he was working at home. They called his cancer surgery "elective," knowing that most people think that means you can have it or not and don't know that all surgery is either elective or emergency. 

Austin's absence from duty, his deception, and his failure to inform Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, or the service chiefs call into question his integrity and intelligence. Given the ongoing military crises affecting the US, the smug arrogance needed to hide absence from duty and the cause of the absence makes Austin an untrustworthy party within the Executive Branch, with Congress, and with our allies.