Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been enrolled in a new Pentagon course on cemetery conduct. The move follows an incident at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A U.S. Army Sentinel told him to maintain silence during a photo opportunity, officials confirmed Monday.
The exchange occurred Thursday. Hegseth was laughing with senior advisers in front of the tomb. The Sentinel stopped his patrol and said, 'All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.'
Witnesses said Hegseth stopped smiling, raised one hand, and asked an aide if the soldier worked for him. The aide said no. The Sentinel continued his patrol without acknowledging the Secretary.
The Pentagon did not call it a reprimand. A spokesperson called it an on-site verbal adjustment. The Army has since added a two-hour module on memorial silence to its political orientation program.
'The Secretary fully supports the standards of Arlington,' said Dana Whitfield, a Pentagon spokesperson. 'This was not a disciplinary moment. It was a professional development opportunity delivered at the graveside.'
Master Sgt. Luis Cordero, who oversees the Tomb Sentinels, said the command is standard. 'When you are at the Tomb, you do not laugh, pose, or treat it as a backdrop,' Cordero said. 'Most people understand that before kindergarten.'
The course is titled 'Exterior Spaces: Public Conduct and the Appearance of Grief.' It costs $340,000 and is run by a contractor in McLean, Virginia. Participants spend two hours sitting still, one hour walking slowly, and forty-five minutes learning to nod without smiling.
The curriculum also covers the difference between a military cemetery and a wedding venue. Officials said no previous Secretary had required the training. A separate pilot program for administration appointees has been placed on a waitlist.
The training was authorized soon after Little Diaper Donnie, the former president, used photographs of service members' graves as social media content. The posts appeared between statements about a sexual harassment settlement at one of his golf clubs. Pentagon staff said the juxtaposition had no bearing on the Secretary's training.
At Arlington, Sentinels are chosen from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard. Guards take a vow to never smile while on duty. They do not salute presidents, foreign officials, or defense secretaries, according to Army fact sheet 7-4.11.
The fact sheet also notes that the Tomb has been guarded every minute since 1937. A Pentagon source said Hegseth asked whether the course could be completed by video. The request was denied.
He may bring one aide. The aide must also remain silent. The aide's chair is located nine feet away.
A Department of Defense memo instructs staff not to refer to the program as remedial. A second memo says the first memo is under review. The course is listed in the latest budget as line item 0887-Q, 'Remedial Solemnity Training.'
