It’s long been known that in the military, rank has its privileges, and none are more privileged than flag officers—generals and admirals. As it turns out, the most privileged of all is the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, a former general. 

It has long been known Austin went AWOL for an unspecified “medical procedure. He didn’t bother to tell President Biden he was “out of the office” and incapacitated, nor did he bother to tell just about anyone else. Any veteran, and anyone actively serving in the military, understands being AWOL is a career ender. It’s just not something one does. It’s a betrayal of one’s sworn duty, of their oath and of those depending on their presence . The potential consequences of a Secretary of Defense just disappearing could be catastrophic. So of course, Austin apparently suffered no discipline for his vanishing act.

But now we learn Austin wasn’t AWOL just once, but no fewer than three times. 

He violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act in December, 2023, in January, 2024 and again in June 2024. The Senate Armed Services Committee isn’t amused. From a letter they sent to President Biden:

For days in December, January, and June, no one in Congress or in your administration knew that Secretary Austin was unable to perform the functions and duties of the Secretary, or that Deputy Secretary Hicks was the acting Secretary…

At the time of these absences, your administration was still reeling from a Chinese intelligence and reconnaissance balloon sailing across the United States, Putin continued his violent and illegal war on Ukraine all the while rattling the nuclear saber, and violent Islamic terrorists and other Iran-backed extremists were ramping up for an historic assault on Israel, emboldened by your disastrous abandonment of Afghanistan.

The world was far from stable, and America was not safe. What makes this situation so much worse, however, is that the moment Secretary Austin’s office became vacant, no one had control of the nuclear football and the entire American nuclear enterprise was left idling.

What’s disturbing is during those AWOL periods, Austin didn’t always notify his Deputy, or anyone else—like the President and National Security Adviser--as required by law, and sometimes didn’t transfer his authority to his Deputy, and/or kept her in the dark.

“Finally, on February 11, Secretary Austin was again unexpectedly hospitalized because of significant medical complications. Despite his severe condition, and his later testimony to the OIG that he believed he had transferred his authorities before he went to the hospital, the OIG found that the weight of the evidence supported that the transfer did not occur until several hours later, after the Secretary was again hospitalized,” it said.

As to whether Austin tried to hide his hospitalizations when a 9-1-1 dispatcher was told to send an ambulance but to not use lights and sirens, the report said “the OIG assessed that the weight of the evidence supported that Secretary Austin made these requests.”

Thirteen senators demanded accountability:

Graphic: Letter to the President. Public Domain.

Certainly, they did their duty unlike Austin, but the chances of Joe Biden holding Austin accountable are slim and none.

Graphic: X Screenshot

Austin’s willing refusal to obey the law is particularly rankling to the more than 8000 military members involuntarily discharged for refusing to take the Covid vaccine, which did not, as Joe Biden claimed, prevent contracting or transmitting the virus.  Despite being vaccinated at least twice and on a visit to the Philippines wearing a mask and face shield, Austin contracted the virus. Apologists noted the Philippines mandated masks and face shields, but photos of Austin’s visit reveal many were ignoring that mandate.

With only a few days left in Biden’s term, his handlers are busy commuting the sentences of 2500 drug offenders. Not people serving short terms for smoking a little pot, but people serving long sentences for felonies.

If Lloyd Austin is to be held accountable, it won’t be by Biden’s handlers. This revelation is yet another reminder of the consequences of having an absentee, puppet POTUS, and it’s one more clean up task for Donald Trump. 

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.