An Army Sentinel publicly reprimanded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and members of his staff on Wednesday after laughter broke out during their visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day.

Hegseth has made soldier standards a recurring theme of his Pentagon tenure, holding conferences and marching back and forth onstage as he extols the virtues of the military. In his formulation, a proper soldier is not overweight and has no beard, among other requirements.

But the Veterans Day visit — a holiday honoring those who have served in the U.S. armed forces — delivered a pointed reminder of the respect owed to soldiers when Hegseth and his group toured the tomb, and of how strictly the military's most sacred site enforces that respect.

While the group, which included President Donald Trump, stood at the memorial, laughter erupted. An Army Sentinel shouted at Hegseth and those around him to pipe down.

"All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect! At all times!" the Sentinel barked.

"This happened just in the last hour or so," reported CNN anchor Boris Sanchez. "Secretary Hegseth and some of his senior staff were at Arlington National Cemetery alongside President Trump and JD Vance for this Veterans Day ceremony. And there's this moment that was captured on camera where the Army Sentinel, who guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, effectively reprimands the secretary of defense and those staffers as they were taking photos."

"For people who don't know, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the most sacred war memorials in the U.S., marking the final resting place of an unknown soldier who was killed in World War One," said Cohen. "A soldier assigned to the Old Guard guards that tomb, rain or shine, in all circumstances, 24 hours a day, and has done so since 1948."

"So obviously decorum, the atmosphere is supposed to be very solemn. And this soldier clearly reminding the secretary of defense of that in real time," Cohen added.

The exchange carried added resonance given Hegseth's own platform: after a tenure built around spotlighting the standards expected of soldiers, the defense secretary was reprimanded on camera, in the moment, by the soldier guarding the tomb — an illustration that the military enforces reverence for its fallen on whoever approaches the memorial.

CNN reported that the Pentagon and Hegseth's staff had not commented on being reprimanded at the solemn moment, and as of the report it remained unclear whether either would address the exchange.

The anchors noted the rules apply to all visitors, not just officials.

"Now, we should be clear, this is something that happens if people are at the tomb, if people are breaking the rules of decorum and silence," said CNN anchor Brianna Keilar. "I just want to be clear that this is something that if you are a normal person who goes to Arlington cemetery and you go to this memorial, and you laugh, that would happen."

"You will get similarly reprimanded by the Army Sentinel who is guarding the tomb at the time. Yes, absolutely," Cohen confirmed.

Footage of the moment is available via YouTube.

This article is based on reporting by Alternet.