Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a group of officials were reprimanded Wednesday by a U.S. Army guard while visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Video shared with CNN shows Hegseth and others posing for a photo outside of the memorial, when audible laughter could be heard from someone in the group.
A guard for the Tomb sternly rebuked the group at full volume: “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
The incident occurred during a Veterans Day ceremony.
Watch the video below:
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a solemn memorial site built in 1921 and dedicated to unidentified American service members who lost their lives in war.
It holds the remains of three unidentified service members and is guarded 24 hours a day by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment — the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell commended the guard’s actions.
“While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum,” Parnell said in a written statement to HuffPost.