Hegseth Staff Damages 30-Inch Eisenhower Globe in Feb. 3 Pentagon Move

Q: What will happen to the historic Eisenhower globe now that it requires extensive repairs after being dropped by untrained Pentagon staff?

The Eisenhower globe is being repaired and, for now, will remain out of Hegseth’s office. Pentagon and Army statements say the artifact was damaged during the failed February move, was not ultimately relocated, and is now undergoing restoration. What happens after that has not been publicly detailed. Officials have not released a timeline, cost estimate, or final disposition for the globe once repairs are complete. But the reporting indicates it will likely return to Army or Pentagon historical custody rather than continue moving through an informal staff process, given that such artifacts are normally handled by curators, historians, or specialist movers. The damage is substantial: the globe’s shell was gashed near Antarctica and the sphere was detached from its rotating metal mount. Because it is treated as a rare historical object linked to Eisenhower’s wartime legacy, the repair work is expected to be careful and specialized, similar to how high-value museum pieces are stabilized and restored. One point of uncertainty remains the artifact’s exact status. Some Pentagon statements have referred to it as a “replica,” while plaques and internal Pentagon accounts describe it as one of two historic “Eisenhower globes” dating to the 1930s and long associated with Eisenhower. Regardless, officials have confirmed the object itself is being repaired after the accident.

3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 22

A 30-inch globe linked to Dwight D. Eisenhower was dropped and punctured near Antarctica during a Feb. 3 attempt to move it to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office, the Army said.
The move bypassed the Pentagon’s usual curator-led process after history staffers were furloughed during a partial government shutdown, and Hegseth’s team chose not to wait for expert help.
The artifact’s spherical shell was detached from its metal mounting, the relocation was abandoned, and Pentagon officials later said only that “accidents happen” and the globe is being repaired.
The mishap became an embarrassment inside the Pentagon because the globe is considered historically significant and one of two Eisenhower globes held there, with another displayed in the Army chief’s office.