On November 11, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attended the Veterans Day wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. After a photo-op, someone in Hegseth’s group laughed audibly while walking away from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and was reprimanded by a U.S. Army guard on duty, who was seen pausing his patrol, facing the entourage, and saying loudly:“All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”The video of the incident has now gone viral. Democratic political strategist, social impact entrepreneur, content creator, and investor Mike Nellis expressed concern for the guard. He wrote on Threads:“I'd be very worried Hegseth is going to try and get that Arlington guard who yelled at him fired. Wouldn't be the first time...”Mike Nellis expresses concern for the sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for yelling at Pete Hegseth. (Image via Threads)In September, Pete Hegseth announced that at least two dozen generals, admirals, and other military leaders would be ousted, calling the move “accountability” and “long overdue.” The following month, Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was fired as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. According to the Associated Press, Sylvia’s predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was also forced to retire in October 2025.According to CNN, the guard was enforcing the standing rule at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where visitors, despite their designation, must stay silent and respectful at all times. Sentinels enforce the rule for regular tourists several times a day.Journalist and left-wing activist Kara Swisher also shared Mike Nellis’ concern. She wrote on the platform:“Give this guard a raise. Hegseth will try to fire him.”Kara Swisher fears that Pete Hegseth would "try to fire" the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. (Image via Threads)More about the incident at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier involving Pete HegsethOn Wednesday, Pete Hegseth took pictures with his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, his chief of staff Ricky Buria, his deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver, and his senior advisor/deputy assistant Tami Radabaugh in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.During the photo-op, someone in the group was chatting and laughing, prompting the guard to yell out and ask them to maintain silence and be respectful. It remains unclear whether Pete Hegseth himself made any noise or it was someone else in the group who laughed. According to NBC News, the War Secretary did not acknowledge the guard’s reprimand and walked away.According to a federal regulation, all national cemeteries governed by the U.S. Army require visitors to “observe proper standards of decorum and decency” and prevent “disrespectful or disorderly conduct.”Later, Pete Hegseth shared a picture with his wife on X. It was captioned:“Happy Veterans Day — to our best Americans. The Hegseths are honored to celebrate our veterans this morning at Arlington with @POTUS, @VP, & @SecVetAffairs. Thank God for our warriors, past and present.”According to the Arlington National Cemetery website:“Taking casual photos, posing for social media, or staging promotional photo-ops at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is considered inappropriate and contrary to the solemnity of the site.”While concerns about the soldier’s job continue to circulate online, Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell shared in a statement with CNN:“The soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum. 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. While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance also attended the ceremony at Arlington on Wednesday. However, they were not part of Pete Hegseth’s photo-op. In 2024, Trump also faced backlash for filming a presidential campaign video at the Arlington National Cemetery.The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is considered a sacred war memorial and is the final resting place of unknown American soldiers who were killed in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. The Vietnam crypt has been empty since the 1998 identification of 1st Lt. Michael J. Blassie.A soldier from the Old Guard, or the 3rd Infantry Regiment, is assigned to the tomb around the clock. According to the Military Times, sentinels were first assigned to guard the tomb in March 1926 during daytime. Later, in July 1937, a 24-hour guard came into effect after the American Legion demanded nonstop oversight.Besides regular tourists and government officials, foreign politicians, diplomats, dignitaries, and other public figures frequently visit the site to pay their respects to the fallen American soldiers.On Monday, outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced eight impeachment articles against Pete Hegseth; the House voted 211-204 on Tuesday to refer the resolution to the Judiciary Committee. Eleven Democrats were absent during the vote.Massie accused Hegseth of executing unlawful orders and overreaching in the Iran War, including starting it without congressional approval, ignoring laws about civilian casualties, and ordering the Pentagon to execute extrajudicial killings.The Defense Secretary called the allegations a “farce” and claimed they were policy disputes and not high crimes.