911 call reveals 'new details' about Defense Secretary’s ambulance request: report

On January 9, officials at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland confirmed that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had experienced complications after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and undergoing minimally invasive surgery.

Because of those complications, Austin was admitted to Walter Reed on New Year's Day. And according to the Daily Beast's Shannon Vavra, an Austin aide asked a 911 dispatcher to be "subtle" when sending an ambulance.

The Beast, Vavra reports, has exclusively obtained a copy of that phone conversation.

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"The audio of the call, which has not previously been reported, reveals new details about the secretary of defense's emergency, and suggests that the effort to keep his ailment secret was well-known among his close aides," according to Vavra. "Although the secretary of defense kept the incident a secret from the public and from U.S. President Joe Biden and other senior administration officials, it was revealed last week that he had received surgery in December to treat and cure prostate cancer."

In the recording of the call, Vavra reports, an aide to Austin can be heard telling the dispatcher, "Can I ask — can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Um, we're trying to remain a little subtle."

The dispatcher responded that "usually, when they turn into a residential neighborhood, they'll turn them off" but noted that sirens and lights are required on main streets.

Vavra explains, "It is not clear who asked the aide to request the ambulance dispatchers attempt to fly under the radar, or if the aide acted of his own accord…. The identity of the caller has been redacted to protect personal information, according to the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications. The Department redacted other personal and health information from the call as well."

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According to Vavra, "Austin's name and title are redacted on the call, but based on the timing and location — the secretary of defense's residence —the call can reasonably be assessed to be about his complications. The secrecy of the Secretary of Defense's hospital visit and treatment has raised some concerns in recent days. The extent of the Austin's ailments — and whether it impacted his ability to carry out commands at a time of increased attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East — was unclear for several days."

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Read the Daily Beast's full report at this link (subscription required).