Kelly Magsamen, Chief of Staff to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, will step down from her position this month, the Pentagon announced.
Austin praised her as “the chief architect of every initiative I have launched to defend our nation” in a statement on Wednesday.
Magsamen came under scrutiny earlier this year when the Pentagon attributed a communication lapse to her, resulting in the White House being unaware for four days that Austin had been hospitalized on New Year’s Day due to complications from a recent prostatectomy. During this period, Austin transferred his duties to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks without Biden’s knowledge or Hicks's initial awareness, as she was reportedly on vacation in Puerto Rico at the time.
The incident led to backlash when it became public. Defense Department spokesperson Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder explained that the communication lapse occurred because Magsamen, responsible for such notifications, was out sick with the flu.
Following the incident, Magsamen issued a memorandum instructing the DoD’s Director of Administration and Management to “immediately lead a review” of the incident and “evaluate the processes and procedures through which the deputy secretary of defense was notified that she should carry out” Austin's duties.
The Pentagon has denied that this communication failure is related to Magsamen's departure.
