Hegseth Wanted Eisenhower’s Globe for His Office. His Staff Broke It.

Hegseth Wanted Eisenhower’s Globe for His Office. His Staff Broke It.

A Defense Secretary Sets His Sights on a WWII Relic

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took an interest in one of two "Eisenhower globes" housed at the Pentagon and asked that it be moved into his office. The artifact dates to the 1930s, measures 30 inches across, and was made by George Philip & Son, a British globemaker. A paired globe in the Army chief of staff's office reportedly bears pen marks attributed to Eisenhower and Gen. Omar Bradley.

Curators Furloughed, Staffers Step In

Normally, moving historical items inside the building is a deliberate process overseen by trained curators at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Those experts were furloughed during a partial government shutdown tied to a congressional dispute over immigration policy. Rather than wait, Hegseth's staff decided to move the globe themselves. One person familiar with the matter blamed an "apparent lack of patience."

The Drop on February 3

According to two people familiar with the matter and photographs obtained by The Washington Post, staffers lost control of the artifact and dropped it. The globe crashed onto its wooden base, punching a hole several inches wide near Antarctica and detaching the spherical shell from the metal mounting that allows it to rotate. Army spokesperson Christopher Surridge acknowledged the damage occurred during an "attempted move" on February 3 and confirmed the globe was not relocated. It remains under repair.

Pentagon Calls It an Accident, Repairs Underway

A Pentagon official told The Hill: "Accidents happen, we are grateful no one was harmed, and the globe is being repaired," calling the Washington Post report "another inconsequential non-story." A Defense Department spokesperson offered a similar line to The Post. Ty Seidule, a retired brigadier general and former West Point history professor, lamented the damage to the artifact.

Historical Value and Uncertain Provenance

A plaque beside the globe describes its link to Eisenhower as a "popular theory" rather than established fact: it was believed to have been used by Eisenhower while serving as chief of the War Plans Division from February to March 1942 and the Operations Division from March to June 1942, later retained by successors now known as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-35. The shutdown that furloughed the experts ended the same day the globe was damaged.

Repairs Ongoing, Accountability Unclear

The damaged globe has not been moved again and is undergoing repair. Whether the Pentagon will revise its procedures for relocating artifacts, or hold anyone accountable, has not been announced. The episode has drawn widespread commentary as an avoidable mishap involving a fragile piece of military history.