US defense chief due go to hospital for checkups: Pentagon

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will go to a military hospital in the state of Maryland later Tuesday, according to a Pentagon spokesman.

Austin will visit Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a scheduled routine follow-up appointment with his doctors, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters.

"The secretary is in good health and as we've highlighted previously, you can expect he'll be conducting these types of follow-on checkups from time to time," added Ryder.

Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer late last year and had surgery Dec. 22. Complications arose, however, leading to his hospitalization due to severe pain on Jan. 1.

He stayed in intensive care for treatment until Jan. 15 and worked remotely from home until Jan. 29.