The Pentagon did not disclose why he was being treated or why it kept his hospital stay secret all week...
but Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said in a Friday statement that Austin is "recovering well and is expecting to resume his full duties today."
Just a day earlier, Ryder held a televised news briefing offering Austin's condolences to ally Japan following its New Year's Day earthquake.
70-year-old Austin sits just below President Joe Biden at the top of the chain of command for the U.S. military.
His duties include being ready and available to respond to an incoming nuclear attack.
Austin's deputy Kathleen Hicks has assumed the role in his absence.
