The Washington Post reported that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is relying on an unprecedentedly large personal security force that has forced the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division to curtail some of its investigative work. Current and former CID officials told the paper that between 400 and 500 of the agency’s roughly 1,500 agents have been assigned to protect the secretary, his family members and multiple residences in Minnesota, Tennessee and Washington, D.C.—more than double the number normally detailed to senior Pentagon leaders. Ordinarily, about 150 CID agents handle VIP protection, leaving the majority to probe felonies involving soldiers. Officials quoted by the Post said the surge in protective duties has required investigators to suspend or delay criminal cases and perform tasks that range from escorting Hegseth’s children to guarding luggage. One official described the scale of the operation as 'unlike anything we’ve seen for one person.' Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell rejected the criticism, saying the security posture reflected recommendations from CID after a bomb threat was made against Hegseth’s Tennessee home late last year and amid what the department calls a heightened threat environment following two assassination attempts on President Donald Trump. Parnell accused the Post of endangering officials by publicising security arrangements, echoing a similar complaint from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who claims media reports exposed her Washington residence. Reaction on Capitol Hill has been mixed. Representative Anna Paulina Luna called for an FBI investigation into what she termed 'leakers' who shared the protective details, while other lawmakers and commentators questioned whether the manpower shift is sustainable as CID balances protection duties with its law-enforcement mission.