US Secretary of War's Visit to France with Family of 7 Puts Pressure on Security Detail

(CNA, Washington, 5th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth arrived in France today with his wife and six children. According to former and current officials in charge of security, this move will undoubtedly place additional pressure on his personal security detail amid heightened security threats due to the war with Iran.

The Washington Post reported that Hegseth is visiting with his wife, Jennifer Hegseth, and their children, primarily to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of D-Day and to pay tribute to the tens of thousands of American troops who landed on the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944.

Footage of Hegseth's arrival in Paris showed the family descending the ramp from a U.S. military aircraft, walking down a long red carpet, and passing a welcoming party of French officials.

A former official from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), who requested anonymity, stated, "I have never seen a situation where a secretary visits with his entire family." The CID is responsible for the security of the Secretary of Defense's travels, both domestically and internationally.

Hegseth's spokesperson said the secretary himself would cover his family's travel expenses but did not clarify whether this includes the cost of additional security personnel required to protect the family members.

In addition to protecting the Secretary of Defense, the CID is also responsible for the security of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, senior Army officials, and other current and former high-ranking Pentagon officials.

In the approximately 17 months since Hegseth took office, the CID's operational demands have significantly increased, partly because the unit provides security for the residences of Hegseth and his wife's former spouses (in Minnesota and Tennessee, respectively). Hegseth has three children with his second wife, Jennifer has three children with her ex-husband, and the couple has one daughter together.

The U.S. State Department currently has a travel advisory for France due to "terrorism and civil unrest." The U.S. government has also issued a general global alert, stating that "groups supporting Iran may attack other U.S. interests abroad, or locations associated with the U.S. and Americans."

A current Army official revealed that the security needs of the Hegseth family have increased the burden on the CID, even affecting personnel training and some criminal investigations.

The Hegseth couple has taken their children on trips before, including a visit to Hawaii last October. At that time, the Pentagon did not state whether Hegseth had reimbursed the government for the costs incurred by his family's accompaniment.