Arlington guard reprimands Pete Hegseth's group over laughter at soldiers' tomb

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's advisers and staff were verbally reprimanded by a soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington Cemetery.

A video showed the group posing for photographs before a loud laugh was heard. The guard then reminded visitors to maintain silence and respect at the solemn war memorial.

Hegseth was photographed on the empty steps in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.

As the group finished taking photographs, the soldier guarding the tomb shouted that "all visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times".

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's top spokesperson, said: "While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum."

"The Secretary and the entire Department have always honoured — and will always honour — the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe," he added.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is considered one of the most solemn and revered war memorials in the US. It is the final resting place of unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II and the Korean War.

Since 1948, the tomb has been guarded around the clock in all weather by a soldier from the US Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as "The Old Guard".

Hegseth and his staff were at the tomb for a larger Veterans Day ceremony attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

The incident came a day after Hegseth narrowly survived an impeachment effort in Congress. The move was led by Representative Thomas Massie and supported by Democrats.

Although Hegseth's critics failed in Tuesday's vote, Republicans may have only delayed further attempts to impeach him. With Democrats set to take control of the House and Senate in January, the efforts are likely to be renewed.

At his first news conference in months on Tuesday, Hegseth rejected the impeachment effort and argued that he had committed none of the serious offences required under the Constitution for his removal.

He also said criticism of him and his handling of the US military amounted to an indictment of the country's service members and their achievements.

"On the eve of Veterans Day, these resolutions tell every one of them that their service was a crime," Hegseth said. "This is not patriotism. This is sabotage."

Democrats reacted swiftly to the reprimand at Arlington Cemetery. Representative Gwen Moore said Hegseth had demonstrated "his utter lack of fitness for his office".

"One day after narrowly avoiding impeachment, he shows his contempt for our men and women in uniform by disrespecting the sanctity of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," she wrote on social media.

This was not the first controversy involving members of Trump's team at Arlington Cemetery. During his campaign for a second term, Trump attended a 2024 ceremony honouring US forces killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

A campaign staff member reportedly shoved a cemetery employee who was trying to stop two people from filming and photographing the event.

Trump, who had been invited by the families of troops, later shared a TikTok video showing him at the cemetery. A voiceover in the video blamed the Biden administration for the "disaster" of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

US law prohibits campaign or election-related activities inside national military cemeteries.

The latest incident involved a guard reminding Hegseth's group to remain silent and respectful at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, prompting criticism from Democrats and a response from the Pentagon defending the department's respect for military personnel.

With PTI Inputs

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