Reservists Deployed Amid Security Staff Shortage
Pentagon: "All Measures Based on CID Recommendations"
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered excessive personal security for himself and his family, leading to complaints from staff about overwhelming workloads. On August 21, Yonhap News, citing the Washington Post (WP) and other sources, reported that the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), which is responsible for protecting senior Pentagon officials, is currently safeguarding all of Hegseth's family residences in Minnesota, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C. due to the Secretary's extensive personal security demands. Staff members have expressed concerns about the heavy burden this has placed on their work.
According to multiple sources and related documents, CID personnel are deployed for weeks at a time in areas where Secretary Hegseth's family lives, and even monitor the home owned by Hegseth's ex-wife, sources said. At times, security coverage has been extended to include not only his ex-wife but also the former husband of his current wife, Jennifer Hegseth.
An anonymous CID official stated, "There is no precedent for personal security demands like those of Secretary Hegseth," adding, "I have never seen so many security teams assigned to one individual." Another official noted, "Of the approximately 1,500 CID personnel, about 150 were previously assigned to protect senior officials, but since Secretary Hegseth took office in January, the number of security staff has increased to several hundred." He continued, "Currently, there are 400 personnel involved, and the number continues to grow."
The main mission of CID is to investigate serious crimes within the Army, such as contract fraud, sexual assault, and, most recently, a shooting incident at a base in Georgia. However, due to the demands of protecting Hegseth, many investigators have been diverted from their primary work and are now spending time sitting in gyms or cars near the Secretary's family homes. The WP pointed out that CID is unable to properly carry out its core investigative work because of Hegseth's excessive security requirements. Furthermore, as personnel shortages have arisen in key areas, CID has reportedly had to mobilize reservists. As controversy over the excessive security has grown, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated, "All security measures for Secretary Hegseth and his family are in response to the threat environment and are based entirely on CID's recommendations."
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