Staff at the U.S. Department of Defense damaged a historic globe from the 1930s while trying to move it to the office of Secretary Pete Hegseth, The Washington Post reported Thursday. The newspaper stressed that the globe belonged to the distinguished Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, who later became U.S. president.

Eisenhower reportedly used the globe while planning the Allied landing in Normandy in June 1944, which he commanded. According to the Post, the globe, 30 inches (76.2 cm) in diameter, was damaged in February. Hegseth’s associates reportedly passed on using a specialized moving company and decided to carry it themselves. They dropped the artifact.

The newspaper published photos of the globe. One shows fragments of it on a blue carpet, and the other shows a crack several centimeters long in the lower part, as well as a damaged base.

A U.S. Army spokesman confirmed to the Post that the damage occurred during an attempt to move the artifact. He explained that the sphere separated from the metal ring that allows it to rotate. He assured the paper that the globe remained where it had stood and is now being restored.

A Pentagon spokesman, however, downplayed the significance of the incident. In a statement provided to Britain’s The Guardian, he said an accident occurred while a replica of Eisenhower’s globe was being transported, and that the piece is now being repaired. He added that, in his view, the Post is paying attention to a matter of little importance.

The newspaper noted that the Pentagon chief is known for his interest in military history and that since taking office in January 2025 he has repeatedly stressed the need to restore a “warrior ethos” to the U.S. armed forces. (PAP)