SECDEF Austin Must Go; But How Did He Get Here?

And what else have we not been told?

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s effort to have secret surgery, and his dereliction of duty have been the subject of much publicity, even though many of the key facts still remain under wraps. However, there are important questions that I have not seen anyone ask, and that must be addressed. These questions go to a fundamental breakdown in the Department of Defense and the Biden administration’s failure to grapple with a problem that raises serious national security concerns. They also bring to light another failure that poses an unnecessary risk to the Country.

Others have documented SECDEF Austin’s inexcusable conduct, although many questions remain unanswered. However, a short synopsis of what he did is helpful to provide context for the discussion that follows.

The Secretary of Defense Goes AWOL

As reported by the AP, in early December Secretary Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Despite the potentially debilitating and even life-threatening nature of that disease, Austin did not inform staff or the White House. On December 22, he underwent surgery for the removal of his prostate gland and remained in the hospital overnight. Again, he did not inform the White House or anyone on its national security team. Some (undefined) duties and authority were assigned to his Deputy, but even she was not told the reason for the transfer.

On January 1, accompanied by his personal security detail, Secretary Austin was admitted to the hospital and placed in ICU. Again, the White House and national security staff were kept in the dark.

On January 2, still in ICU, Austin turned over “certain operational responsibilities that require constant secure communications capabilities” to his deputy. This also was kept secret from the White House. That same day a number of senior Pentagon officials were informed of his hospitalization, including his Chief of Staff, his Senior Military Advisor, and General CQ Brown, who is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and thereby the senior military advisor to the President. None of these worthies bother to take steps to inform the White House. Austin remained in ICU.

On January 4, National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, was informed of the hospitalization, but not that Austin had cancer. He informed the President of the hospitalization. That same day, the Pentagon Press Secretary, Major General Pat Ryder, gave a press briefing but he did not disclose that Austin has been hospitalized.

Not until the evening of the next day, January 5, did the first Congressional notifications go out. The three-sentence notice said that Austin was hospitalized for an “elective medical procedure,” but did not disclose that he had cancer or that he was still hospitalized.

On January 6, Austin talked to Biden for the first time but did not disclose that he had cancer. Biden says that he did not learn that his Secretary of Defense had cancer until January 8.

So apparently almost a week went by after the Pentagon officials learned that Austin was in the hospital, without anyone bothering to ask why he was there. Either they didn’t ask, or Austin or his family refused to tell them.

Reportedly, during this period Austin’s staff falsely told others in the Pentagon that he was working from home.

Biden has said that he will not ask for Austin’s resignation and Austin has not offered it.

The Military Ethos of Accountability

While putting things in context, consider what would happen to an ordinary military service member who committed a similar offense (although nothing is very similar to this high-level mash-up). Failure to be where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, is a cardinal sin in the military. This is very serious stuff. A soldier who goes AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave) will be disciplined. Typical punishments may range from non-judicial punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice with a fine and reduction in rank, to a trial by special court martial resulting in a felony conviction. Sentences of up to six months’ confinement in the Post stockade and reduction in grade to private E-1 are not uncommon.

A regular Army private, who has been in uniform for just a few weeks, is expected to have the good judgment to be at a required formation, when he is required to be there. If he is not, he is likely to receive Article 15 non-judicial punishment, with a fine of perhaps a month’s pay, and maybe even a reduction in rank.

Lloyd Austin was introduced into this ethos early in his military career at West Point. If Cadet Austin had skipped a required formation, parade, or math class, swift punishment would have followed. He would have received a hefty number of demerits (an excess of which could lead to expulsion), a substantial number of punishment tours “walking the area,” and most likely weeks or months of confinement to his room, except to attend classes and required activities.

Even in garrison, commanders are required to know every day exactly how many soldiers they have, where they are, and what their duty status it. But any officer who disappeared during combat operations or at any other critical time without letting his commander know, would be relieved of his command or other duties. If he made false statements about his whereabouts, he would be lucky to avoid being tried by court martial and kicked out of the service.

In short, at all levels in the Army, proper accountability is a cardinal virtue and a soldier who fails to keep his superior officer informed of his whereabouts commits a cardinal sin. It is fundamental.

How did Austin Slip By?

Austin’s cardinal sin is so egregious that most people would think that it is simply the sort of thing that does not happen. But if it does happen under circumstances like those here, it is a sign of a fundamental flaw in an officer’s fitness or proficiency.

So surely there must have been signs of this judgmental flaw sometime in Austin’s military career. The Army scrutinizes potential commanders closely to determine their fitness for command. Austin’s critical assignments can be seen here.

For most of his higher assignments Austin was — or should have been — vetted and examined closely. For every position he was scrutinized for suitability before his appointment. In each position (except perhaps as Chairman of the JCS), he was evaluated at least annually with an evaluation report to assess his performance and fitness for higher rank and responsibilities. These OER’s make or break an officer’s career. One of the main attributes upon which an officer is evaluated is “sound judgment.”

For obvious reasons, candidates for promotion to general or admiral are scrutinized even more closely, with microscope-like focus on their judgment, professionalism and suitability for the enormous responsibilities that go with flag rank. This sieve through which officers must pass to make it to flag rank is an extremely fine one. And it is — or should be — progressively tighter and tighter when the officer is under consideration for two, three or four stars.

One of the purposes of this exacting scrutiny both for promotions and assignments is to identify officers who are not up to the task of higher command and responsibility. It also weeds out those who should not be retained as officers.

The breach of trust exhibited by Austin is not the sort of thing that suddenly appears with no prior warning. It is an indicator of a fundamental flaw in character and judgment. It is not the sort of character failing that just appears out of nowhere for the first time when the officer is seventy years old. When this type of bad judgment is displayed, almost certainly there were earlier instances of similar failings or at least warning signs that the officer might not have the good judgment required of a candidate for higher positions. Such warning signs should have been reflected in his OER’s.

So, what happened here? I do not pretend to know the answer. What I do know is that Austin displayed extraordinarily bad judgment constituting a breach of faith with the Commander-in-Chief, and that how a man with such a gross lack of judgment slipped through the sieve should be closely examined by Congress. The holes in the sieve must be repaired.

Was the President’s Mental Condition a Factor Here?

Regrettably, this episode shines light on another pressing national security issue. We regularly see the President displaying what most people reasonably think is at least the early stages of dementia. I will not belabor the President’s mental condition here. It has been well publicized and even his staff apparently recognize it, based upon their efforts to shield him from many public appearances, free-wheeling press conferences, or interviews where he might be questioned by competent journalists.

But it must be noted how the President’s mental condition has escalated the risk to our national security: During the first three days of Austin’s hospitalization, the President did not even know he was missing. And the President did not learn of Austin’s cancer until about a month after its diagnosis and a week after Austin was admitted to the ICU. Forget for a moment the fact that neither Austin nor anyone else told the President that Austin was in ICU. The Mideast was burning. Attacks on U.S. soldiers were continuing. Iran is getting closer and closer to a nuclear bomb. Houthi terrorists are actually shooting Iranian-supplied missiles at U.S. warships. North Korea is rattling its sabers. China is on the move, and everyone is worried about a war against Taiwan. If there is a war against a nuclear-armed China, it will be like nothing the world has ever seen.

With all that and more going on, the fact that Biden did not that Austin was missing shows that the President did not even attempt to talk with his Secretary of Defense during this critical period. Rational people certainly can conclude that this failure is more evidence of the President’s apparent dementia — that he cannot be trusted even to talk to his principal military advisor in the middle of world-wide crises that threaten to involve us in a major war.

The President’s apparent condition is sad for him and his family. But it is dangerous for the Country. Given President Biden’s condition and steps being taken by his staff and family to hide it from the public, there is an enormous risk due that the Country will be plunged into a major crisis that could result in a wider war because the President is uninvolved and out of touch with the dangers confronting us. His lack of communication with his own chief military advisor has made that all too clear.

We are in dangerous waters.

Consequences?

On Friday I heard General Jack Keane say on Fox News that we should move on from this. General Keane has been a consistent critic of the Biden Administration and I respect him. But I respectfully dissent.

First, and foremost, Austin must go. His breach of trust is beyond the bounds of acceptability. In language that he is familiar with, West Point would call it a “gross lack of judgment.” The President and the Country cannot have confidence in a defense secretary who displays such a lack of judgment.

Second, every senior officer in the Pentagon who learned about Austin’s hospitalization and took no steps to ensure that the President was informed, must be fired. This starts with Austin’s Chief of Staff and the newly appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Brown.

Third, the multiple failures by senior officers in the Pentagon to see that the President and his national security team were informed, show that this was not just a lapse of judgment by one person. It was a systematic breakdown. A rigorous and merciless review must be performed to find out why the breakdown occurred. All those responsible should be fired. Given General Brown’s involvement, the Pentagon cannot be trusted to do an honest and complete scrubbing. Congress must take the lead to investigate and identify the culprits. If Congress does not, no one will.

Finally, President Biden must submit to a full and comprehensive medical exam, including a rigorous mental and neurological examination. If he is not willing to do so, Congress (and the press) must take strong steps to pressure him to comply. If the President is not capable of fulfilling his duties as Commander-in-Chief, then — as much as I hate to say it — remedies under the 25th Amendment must be seriously considered.