The defense secretary is just below the president in the chain of command for the US military.
The heavily redacted four-minute call, released by officials in Virginia on Tuesday after a freedom of information request, was made to 911.
It features a caller asking that Mr Austin be transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.
"Can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? We're trying to remain a little subtle," the caller, whose name was redacted from the audio, told the emergency dispatcher.
CBS News, the BBC's US partner, and other US media have identified the caller as a member of Mr Austin's staff.
It features a caller asking that Mr Austin be transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.
"Can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? We're trying to remain a little subtle," the caller, whose name was redacted from the audio, told the emergency dispatcher.
CBS News, the BBC's US partner, and other US media have identified the caller as a member of Mr Austin's staff.
- Senior defence officials and the White House did not learn that Mr Austin was seriously ill until three days after his re-admission.
- That secrecy prompted security and transparency concerns and three investigations have since been launched into the handling of his health crisis.
Austin aide made 'subtle' ambulance plea in new audio
No lights or sirens was the request to 911 when the US defence secretary was taken to hospital on New Year's Day.
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