Former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gate fell at his lakefront home in Washington state on New Year's Day and fractured his first vertebrae, according to a statement from his office cited in Politico.
Gates, 70, was hospitalized overnight and went home with a neck brace on Thursday, his office said.
Gates plans to go ahead with a book tour to promote the release of his memoir, "Duty," on Jan. 14, according to the statement.
Gates served as secretary of defense under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. He retired in 2011.
"In a remarkable public career, the Kansas native served eight presidents, including holding the post of CIA director under President George H.W. Bush, and was president of Texas A&M University before heading the Pentagon," according to Politico.
