On Friday evening, the Pentagon disclosed that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been brought to the hospital four days earlier, on January 1, New Year's Day.

According to a statement released by the Pentagon Press Secretary, an officer at the rank of Major General, Pat Ryder, who said the secretary was admitted to the hospital as a result of "complications" that occurred after a "recent elective medical procedure," as Breitbart News reported.

In the statement, neither the technique nor the problems were specified.

Neither was the operation itself. The following was included in the statement that was distributed at approximately 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time:

On the evening of January 1, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for complications following a recent elective medical procedure.

He is recovering well and is expecting to resume his full duties today. At all times, the Deputy Secretary of Defense was prepared to act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary, if required.

After a delay of several days, the Pentagon finally acknowledged Austin's hospitalization, which prompted some to wonder why they took so long to make the announcement.

The announcement also prompted inquiries regarding the reasons for the extended period of time it took Austin to recuperate.

“The fact that he has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for four days and the Pentagon is only now alerting the public late on a Friday evening is an outrage,” the group said.

The press association made their comments in a letter addressed to Ryder and Chris Meagher, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs.

“It falls far below the normal disclosure standards that are customary by other federal departments when senior officials undergo medical procedures or are temporarily incapacitated,” the letter continued.

The press association wrote a letter to Ryder and Chris Meagher, the Defense Department's assistant for public affairs, expressing their opinions on the delay.

The United States military is now engaged in a number of crises not inside the United States, but of concern to the country's allies.

These crises include providing assistance to Israel, attempting to prevent attacks in the Red Sea that Iran supports, and offering guidance and assistance to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

The Pentagon sent the most recent information regarding Austin's activities on December 30. This occurred after Austin had a conversation with the minister of defense of the Netherlands.