WASHINGTON — Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, faced a public rebuke from an active-duty U.S. Army sentinel during a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday. The incident occurred just one day after Hegseth narrowly avoided a potential impeachment push in Congress.

According to reports from CNN and the Associated Press, the episode unfolded after official wreath-laying ceremonies concluded. Hegseth, accompanied by his wife Jennifer and top aides—including Chief of Staff Ricky Buria, Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Weaver, and senior advisor Tami Ladebo—was taking commemorative photographs on the steps near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

As the group moved away from the area, casual conversation and laughter broke out. The noise caught the attention of a Tomb Guard from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment ("The Old Guard"), who was actively patrolling the sacred memorial.

Abruptly halting, the soldier turned toward the group and called out in a commanding voice, "All visitors must maintain silence and a respectful atmosphere at all times!"

The moment, captured live by broadcast cameras, placed the nation's highest-ranking civilian defense official and his senior staff on the receiving end of a direct reprimand from a junior enlisted soldier. Hegseth looked back toward the guard before walking up the stairs to depart. While it remains unclear who specifically made the laughing sound, American media outlets widely noted that the guard "scolded" and "reprimanded" the delegation.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honors unidentified American service members from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Since 1948, elite sentinels have guarded the monument 24 hours a day, regardless of weather conditions, strictly enforcing decorum and silencing any disruptive or inappropriate behavior regardless of a visitor's status or rank.

A Pentagon spokesperson, Sean Parnell, defended the Secretary in a statement, emphasizing that Hegseth and the broader Department of Defense deeply respect the sacrifices of American service members. "While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier accurately and politely reminded everyone to maintain proper decorum," Parnell said.

However, the incident drew immediate political criticism. Former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger took to social media to express disbelief that a defense secretary would laugh and pose for casual photos at such a solemn memorial, while praising the guard for upholding protocol regardless of rank.

The public reprimand comes at a politically sensitive time for Hegseth, arriving just a day after the House of Representatives narrowly blocked an impeachment resolution against him. By a 211–204 vote, the House voted to refer the impeachment articles to the Judiciary Committee, effectively shelving a direct floor vote for the current legislative session.

Hegseth has faced continuous controversy since taking office over issues concerning classified information management, the legality of military operations, and press restrictions. Most notably, he faced scrutiny over the "Signal Gate" scandal last year, where sensitive military scheduling details regarding operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen were inadvertently shared in a messaging group containing a journalist.

The recent impeachment effort was notably spearheaded by a fellow Republican, Representative Thomas Massie, who argued that Hegseth violated constitutional boundaries by executing military actions—including operations in Yemen, Venezuela, and the Caribbean, as well as an undeclared conflict involving Iran—without congressional authorization. While the immediate impeachment threat has stalled, Democratic lawmakers have signaled that the issue could resurface when the new Congress convenes in January.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]