Overview
- The Army says a World War II–era 30‑inch globe believed to have been used by Dwight D. Eisenhower was damaged during an attempted move on Feb. 3 when a team sent by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office lost control of it and dropped it.
- Army spokesman Christopher Surridge confirmed the shell suffered a several‑inch gash near Antarctica and that the spherical portion detached from its metal mounting that allows it to rotate.
- Pentagon officials declined The Washington Post’s request to inspect or photograph the damaged globe but the paper obtained images showing the tear and debris on the carpet.
- Officials say the office that held the globe had planned to consult curators at the U.S. Army Center of Military History but those historians were furloughed during a partial government shutdown so Hegseth’s staff proceeded without professional movers.
- The Defense Department called it an accident and said the globe is being repaired, but reporting notes no public record tying the order directly to Hegseth and no announced discipline or formal investigation, an outcome that may increase scrutiny of his leadership and Pentagon handling of historic artifacts.