Hegseth entourage reprimanded by guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Guard at memorial site can be heard yelling at group to ‘maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times’.

A video has spread online showing a military guard scolding a group accompanying United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

On Wednesday, Hegseth and members of his staff visited the memorial site at Arlington National Cemetery.

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But as they paused to take group photos, they could be heard laughing. The video shows an Army sentinel turning to loudly reprimand them.

“All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” the guard yelled.

The tomb, seen as a sombre memorial to those who have died in war, marks the resting place of unidentified US soldiers from World War I and later conflicts.

A member of the 3rd Infantry Regiment – known as the “Old Guard” – watches over the site 24 hours a day.

The incident, which took place on Veterans Day, comes amid speculation over whether Hegseth will be able to maintain his cabinet-level position in the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Hegseth narrowly avoided a vote on articles of impeachment brought against him in the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, with Republican lawmakers banding together to derail the effort.

Critics have accused Hegseth of overseeing several unlawful actions while in his post, including spearheading the US-Israel war on Iran without seeking congressional authorisation first.

The war became a central topic in the November 3 midterm elections, in which Trump’s Republican Party suffered a bruising setback, losing both chambers of Congress.

Hegseth has also championed a campaign of deadly strikes targeting alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. Legal scholars have called that campaign a series of extrajudicial killings.

During his time as defence secretary, Hegseth has been criticised for weakening rules meant to diminish civilian casualties in US strikes.

In addition, his tenure has been marked by right-wing culture war issues: he has sought to ban transgender service members from the armed forces and instituted testosterone testing for male soldiers.

In response to Wednesday’s interaction at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that the sentinel had responded “correctly”.

He also underscored Hegseth’s commitment to respecting US soldiers.

“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,” Parnell said.