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Army sentinel rebukes Hegseth group at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
A sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery called for silence and respect after laughter from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's departing group on Veterans Day, a Pentagon spokesman said the reminder was correct.
An Army sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery publicly called for silence and respect after a group traveling with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laughed and posed on the memorial's steps during Veterans Day observances. The moment was captured on video and has drawn attention to how visitors conduct themselves at the nation's most solemn military site.
According to the reporting, President Donald Trump had already left the memorial after attending the wreath-laying ceremony, which took place shortly before 12:30 p.m. Shortly after 12:28 p.m., members of Hegseth's entourage began gathering on the steps of the tomb for photographs. About two minutes later, the sentinel issued a warning directed at the visitors gathered at the tomb, asking for quiet and decorum. The video shows the warning coming as laughter could be heard from the departing group.
The group included Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer Hegseth. Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, provided a statement to Fox News in which he said the department always honors the sacrifices of fallen service members. Parnell said the sentinel had correctly reminded everyone to keep decorum at the site. No punishment or formal action against the group has been reported.
The sentinels who guard the tomb belong to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard. They keep watch over the memorial 24 hours a day, every day, and selection for the role is highly competitive and requires extensive training. The tomb honors unidentified American service members killed in conflicts and serves as the central site for Veterans Day commemorations at Arlington National Cemetery.
It remains unclear whether the laughter was directed at the ceremony or was unrelated to it. It is also not yet known whether any further disciplinary or policy steps will follow the incident.
Source: foxnews.com
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