Audio of a 911 call requesting an ambulance for United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin revealed that a federal employee working for Austin asked the operator to keep the ambulance discreet.
Recently, Austin was transferred from his home in Virginia to Walter Reed Hospital after suffering complications from prostate cancer surgery, but neither President Joe Biden nor anyone else knew about it. But how?
The call, obtained by U.S. news agencies through a Freedom of Information Act request, was made on Jan. 1 and showed that a federal employee working for Austin asked the operator for the ambulance to be “gentle,” ABC News reported.
“Can I ask — so the ambulance doesn’t show up with lights and sirens? We’re trying to stay a little subtle,” the employee said.
Local laws state that ambulances are required to sound their sirens and lights on major roads, but are not mandated to do so on secondary roads.
A 911 call was made at 7:15 p.m. from Austin’s home when he was described as awake, alert and oriented. The ambulance arrived seven minutes later at 19:22.
Austin, who underwent scheduled surgery on Dec. 22, was hospitalized on New Year’s Day due to complications. He was released on Monday after a two-week stay.
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His department faced criticism for keeping the nation in the dark about his hospitalization and not disclosing it to President Biden, who used the lapse in judgment as a weapon against the White House.
In a statement announcing Austin’s release from the hospital, the Department of Defense said that “the Secretary continues to make a good recovery and, on the advice of doctors, will recuperate and perform his duties remotely for a period of time before returning full-time to the Pentagon.” .”
“It has full access to the required secure communication capabilities,” it continued.
Austin said in a statement that he will continue to “recover and fulfill his duties from home” and looks forward to returning to the Pentagon as soon as possible.
