A historic globe believed to have been used by General Dwight D. Eisenhower during the Second World War was damaged by aides to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during an attempt to move it into his Pentagon office.
The 30-inch floor globe fell onto its base in early February, leaving a hole several inches wide near Antarctica.
The incident also dislodged the sphere from the metal frame that allows it to rotate, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The globe never reached Hegseth’s office.
The US Army confirmed that the artefact had been damaged during the move.
Hegseth’s Team Bypassed Planned Transfer Arrangements
Hegseth’s staff had requested the globe because of its historical connection to Eisenhower, according to sources cited by The Washington Post.
A plaque accompanying the artefact dates it to the 1930s.
The Army office responsible for the globe had intended to arrange for specialists from the US Army Center of Military History to pack it securely and document its transfer.
Historic objects are ordinarily moved around the Pentagon by trained curators.
However, the specialists were furloughed during a partial government shutdown caused by a congressional dispute over the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
Instead of waiting for the historians to return, Hegseth’s team dispatched its own moving crew.
One source told the newspaper that impatience appeared to have contributed to the decision.
The shutdown ended on the same day the globe was damaged.
It remains unclear whether Hegseth personally ordered the transfer or another senior official in his office authorised it.
Pentagon Officials Decline Access to Damaged Artefact
Pentagon officials refused to allow The Washington Post to photograph or inspect the damaged globe.
However, the newspaper obtained images showing the hole in the sphere and small fragments of debris scattered across the carpet beneath it.
The incident became a subject of jokes among Pentagon officials.
Some reportedly viewed the botched move as reflecting Hegseth’s outspoken manner and interest in World War II history.
Globe Linked to Eisenhower’s Wartime Service
A card displayed beside the globe states that it is believed to have been used by Eisenhower in 1942, when he headed the Army’s War Plans Division before moving to its Operations Division.
Another globe associated with Eisenhower remains in the office of the Army chief of staff.
Officials said that artefact still carries pen markings made by Eisenhower and General Omar Bradley.
Hegseth, a former National Guard officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, has adopted the title of secretary of war after President Donald Trump ordered the restoration of the department’s pre-1947 name last year.
Congress has not approved the change.
Incident Comes Amid Scrutiny Over Iran War
The damaged globe has become a point of attention as Hegseth faces increasing criticism over his handling of the war with Iran, which began weeks after the February incident.
Hegseth declared this spring that regime change had already taken place in Iran.
However, the Islamic Republic remains in power, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps strengthening its control at the expense of civilian and clerical institutions.
The conflict has proved deeply unpopular among Americans and contributed to rising costs at home, creating an additional challenge for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.
