Austin’s absence blamed on lack of policy

| February 28, 2024

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

GEN Austin’s office is explaining his absence just after New Year’s.

A mixture of concerns about protecting Austin’s privacy — and a lack of written policy for emergency hospitalizations — caused staff to balk when it came to informing the White House or Congress of the secretary’s absence, while at the same time not informing the deputy defense secretary of why she was taking over authorities, according to an executive summary of the largely classified review released Monday.

What was unprecedented was that following Austin’s ambulance ride on Jan. 1, it took his staff until Jan. 4 to notify the White House and Congress of his absence, and until the following day to put out a public statement.

Seems to me OCS (and maybe even basic training) mentioned “If you are physically unable to do your job, inform your superiors. Inform your immediate subordinate to take over.” Or words to that effect. You do that immediately so the CoC is still effective, you do that so there is no reduction in capability – I mean, this is discussed when they ain’t even lieutenants yet, when they are still candidates. I’m reasonably sure budding ensigns and Forceketeerleutnants hear the same thing (sorry, I’m a bit unclear on the Space Force rank structure.) Ya just do it, every time, promptly. Do not pass Go, you do it now.

Austin has taken the blame for the situation overall, saying that he did not want to “burden” the president with his early December cancer diagnosis, he told reporters during a Feb. 13 briefing.

Austin said at the time that he did not direct his staff to withhold any information from the chain of command, adding that he doesn’t believe that he has created a culture of secrecy that would have conditioned his staff to hide information on his behalf.

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck… it’s an effen duck.

The review found that concerns over “medical privacy laws” precluded staff from sharing what they knew or asking for more information.

His non-medical staff were worried about HIPAA violations? Really?

The review released Monday includes eight recommendations to improve the notification process when a defense secretary is incapacitated, including articulating to staff the expectations for information-sharing and writing down guidelines for how to handle such events. There will also be new protocols for determining when authorities should be transferred to a deputy defense secretary and how to notify authorities about it. Military Times

Barn. Horse, stolen, one each. Lock.  They just now are addressing “what happens if someone gets sick?”

Best recommendation would be a bit of housecleaning…there is some seriously flawed decision-making going on with the present group.

HIPAA?

 

 

Category: Government Incompetence, Veterans in politics

35 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Anna Puma

HIPPA concerns?

For a CYA that really does not pass the smell test. I am reminded of the Guard joke of who gets sent to the Guard Bureau, the useless and incompetent.

HT3

Hey SECDEF, how’d that “extremist” investigation turn out? Some airman just light himself on fire in support of group that is at war with one of the staunchest allies. Any thoughts? I’m guessing ties to The Left were not “investigated”. This kid was well down the ideology rabbit hole before his human torch act. The Biden Experiment has to end for the sake of our military if nothing else.

SFC D

The Biden experiment is merely the second stage of the Obama experiment.

KoB

If you think the second stage has been a true cluster f*ck, just wait until “Big Mike” is (s)elected for stage three. Watch…and…Prepare

Anonymous

Not bad when Leftists do it, of course.

A Proud Infidel®™

IMO that’s some really transparent CYA from the most incompetent administration I have ever seen!

Sapper3307

SIDE NOTE
The FireMan is confirmed ANTIFA.
157_1KTSGUc

Anonymous

He finally made the world a better place… both /sarc and literally.

Odie

Lack of policy? Try that as a 1 striper and you will be introduced to policy.

Complete and total BS.

Forest Bondurant

Lack of policy? Bullshit. I guess the SecDef’s office is devoid of any Human Resource assistance.

Concerned about HIPPA? Bullshit. At a minimum, the Chief of Staff or Deputy could have consulted with the Judge Advocate.

FJB

and

FLA (<F*ck Lloyd Austin)

Hack Stone

The SOP does not specify where the Chow Hall is, and apparently it does not establish a succession plan either. Good to know.

5JC

I believe it. They hit the nail on the head and threw Biden under the bus without realizing it.

Setting policy requires leadership. Something that doesn’t really exist in the Biden Whitehouse. You can always see lack of leadership when no one is held accountable, everything is someone else’s fault and the leaders address concerns through angry denials of everything and gas lighting.

SgtM

HIPPA only applies to guvment employees. This is the group that wanted all of us to wear cards that said if we got the jab or not. Where was HIPPA then?

SFC D

Policy. Bullshit. If this asshat had one tiny bit of integrity, he’d resign. If the president had one tiny clue, he’d put Austin out on his ass. The original and final responsibility rests with Austin. The Biden administration has raised CYA to an art form. Sure, Austin has a right to privacy where medical issues are concerned. That is not an excuse to abandon your post and leave your C in C uninformed. Piss poor example of today’s flag rank officers.

Green Thumb

Word.

But he gets a hall pass.

You should know this…..

Anonymous

No slack for the guys who wouldn’t get the COVID shot either, as Matt Gaetz reports:
comment image

Green Thumb

Austin is such a fartknocker.

President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neande

HIPPA only applies if you’re alive.
Rumor has it (prove me wrong) that the Austin got hit over in ‘Kraine.

(bottom of the post)
https://bigcountryexpat.com/index.php/2024/02/13/well-i-wasnt-too-far-off-in-my-prediction-and-some-funnies/

https://bigcountryexpat.com/index.php/2024/02/17/wheres-waldo-austin-and-aguto/

There are one or two earlier posts back when Austin first “prostate cancer disappeared”, but if you wanna look ’em up, go for it.
BCE is definitely NOT PC….In other words, our kind of people. So, empty mouth & place cup on table, You have been warned.

FuzeVT

Colonel: Major Benotz, where the fuck have you been? You’ve been UA for 2 weeks!!

Maj Benotz: HIPPA, sir! Game. Set. Match.

Court Martial follows.

Hack Stone

Major Benotz: I was at the dentist, sir. They pulled a tooth.

Colonel: Okay, I’d like to see that tooth.

Major Benotz: You want the tooth?! You can’t handle the tooth!

FuzeVT

>Rimshot!<

Hack Stone

Hack Stone back in the 1990’s on a certain Friday during the better weather days when the Staff NCO’s and Officers would be participating in a Terrain Assessment and Navigation Training Evolution (Golf Course) and put the Senior NCO in charge of each Company for the day. Pretty sure that it was called Sergeant’s Day. That is what happened here. Everyone from the Secretary of Defense down to the rank of E-6 took a few days off and turned over Command to Sergeant Snorkel.

Amateur Historian

“If you are physically unable to do your job, inform your superiors. Inform your immediate subordinate to take over.” Or words to that effect. You do that immediately so the CoC is still effective.”

Given the guy at the top is resident Biden, who will never be removed under the 25A for obvious mental illness, the CoC would not really be as effective as it could be even if Austin had passed along the critically needed information. I’m not excusing what he did, just noting it’s a shitty situation all around.

Mason

In any organization, there’s always that brain dead idiot that does something stupid that violated common sense. In response, there’s now a written policy to mandate common sense.

Perhaps I was expecting too much that the SecDef (a former 4-star) wouldn’t need to get a policy for not being a bone head named after him.

Henceforth, any notification of your temporary medical incapacitation shall be documented on DD Form 1234 aka an
“Austin Report.”

AW1Ed

I might have a bit more respect for the Space Force had they adopted a more rational and appropriate Naval rank structure.
Doubtful, but I might have.

Last edited 9 months ago by AW1Ed
Eggs

Maybe when they start building starships

RGR 4-78

USSS Derth Austin.

Anonymous

Every SciFi since forever has put forth
naval ranks and whatnot for all this.

james_t__kirk_by_bleeedingrose_d2qk5dj-375w-2x
ChipNASA

I know many don’t Tick the Tock but if you can see this, you or a family member may be entitled to compensation…

https://www.tiktok.com/@tomnordquist75/video/7255326756960324906

timactual

I am reasonably certain that in the military, as in the civilian world, you inform your boss if you are not going to show up for work. Although in this case, his boss probably doesn’t even know who he is.

JustALurkinAround

No policy, huh? That’s all it takes? If it was true the barracks barristers would have known.

This makes me want to go full, semi-automatic!

Blaster

Going through an SRP, the commander is given a list of Soldiers by Name, of what their issues, diagnosis, problems are and what has to be done to correct them. HIPAA doesn’t play into it. CDRs, CSMs, 1SGs, are all HIPAA certified for this reason.

They’re lying. Again!!

Rich

Lloyd Austin takes ‘full responsibility’ for keeping White House in the dark on hospitalization. Then TAKE responsibility…..RESIGN.

tshe

And they always say… wait for it…

“We can do better.”

tshe

RE: RESIGN

What Austin should have done is OFFER to resign. POTUS would have said ‘no’ then everyone gets to appear noble.