Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is bidding farewell to the forces and personnel he's led through a tumultuous term.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s failure to inform Congress or the White House as required when he was incapacitated due to treatment for prostate cancer and later complications potentially raised “unnecessary” security risks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin bid farewell Friday to the forces and personnel he has led through a tumultuous term that had three major military crises, a global pandemic and a personal brush with cancer that became a flashpoint for the way it was mishandled.

Austin recommended that OMB leave Trump’s incoming administration a proposed five-year defense plan that starts with $926.5 billion in fiscal 2026, compared with a projected $876.8 billion. Austin proposes spending of $972.8 billion in fiscal 2027 and more than $1 trillion in fiscal 2028 versus the $913.5 billion OMB projected earlier.

Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has recommended a boost in defense spending by about $50 billion more than the current 2026 projections, a move that could push the defense budget beyond $1 trillion in the coming years,

An investigation released on Wednesday into U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's secret 2024 hospitalization found his desire for privacy drove notification failures inside the government, and that he took medication that could have affected his cognitive functions while still in sole command.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attend a meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 9 ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin bid farewell Friday ... In response to the invasion, Austin created the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of more than 50 partner ...

During his time Austin oversaw the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, led the more than 50-nation coalition supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, and directed the most intense naval combat operation since World War II in the Red Sea, following the Hamas attack upon Israel.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris continued their farewell tour on Thursday, attending the Department of Defense Commander in Chief Farewell Ceremony, offering his thanks to U.S. troops for their service throughout his administration.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a press briefing at the ... In response to the invasion, Austin created the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of more than 50 partner nations that have sent more than $126 billion in weapons and ...

The incoming defense secretary will face several challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the turmoil in the Middle East.