A soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier issued a verbal reprimand to a group of advisers and staffers with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Video shows Hegseth taking photos on the empty steps in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.
As the group broke from taking photos, a loud laugh could be heard, and the soldier guarding the tomb shouted that “all visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
I’d say mythic is exactly the right word for it. They’re objects of reverence precisely because they commit to the needs of that unit and its mission so thoroughly that they become a sort of priesthood rather than “normal” soldiers. That skillset seems even rarer than the one needed to be in the elite special forces. I’m just saying your not necessarily picking from the exact same applicant pool, LOL.
I do agree that Hegseth in particular is galvanizing a lot of troops and vets who have a bit of perspective. I didn’t serve, but my dad and brother did, and I grew up in a Navy town so many of my friends and their families did too. The vets in my circle are not impressed with Hegseth at all.
You telling me that picking highly reverent rule obsessed people gets you different folks from the special forces? /s