A US Army sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier appeared to rebuke Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's delegation on Wednesday, November 11, after laughter could be heard as they climbed the steps of the solemn site at Arlington National Cemetery, according to video of the incident.
Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh could be seen taking pictures and speaking to each other on the steps of the memorial following a Veterans Day wreath-laying event attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. As the group broke from photos and walked away, laughter was audible.
Immediately after, the sentinel stopped his patrol, turned toward the group and shouted from a distance: All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times. Hegseth was seen looking over his shoulder before continuing up the steps. The footage does not identify who laughed.
Sitting at the heart of Arlington, the Tomb is a sacred site and grave of three unknown American service members from World War I, World War II and Korea, guarded 24 hours a day since 1948 by sentinels of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard. Sentinels rarely disrupt calm intentionally but are trained to react when rules are broken.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement: The Secretary and the entire Department have always honored and will always honor the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe. While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.
Analysis:
The optics are damaging for Hegseth, a former Army National Guard soldier who served in Iraq, at a moment of political vulnerability. The incident came a day after the House rejected an impeachment push by Republican Thomas Massie accusing him of unlawful orders. The Old Guard is revered inside the military and the rebuke is standard procedure, yet video of the defense secretary being corrected for decorum at America's most hallowed military shrine spreads fast. Pentagon quickly endorsing the sentinel shows awareness that any pushback would look worse. For a Veterans Day meant to project unity and reverence, the laughter breaks the code of the tomb where silence itself is the ritual.
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