Hegseth awards medal to soldier who scolded his staff at Arlington
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pinned the Joint Service Commendation Medal on Specialist Thomas Iglesias for enforcing silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
By Fernando Rojas ·
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal to Specialist Thomas Iglesias, the service member who ordered Hegseth and his staff to be quiet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The Pentagon confirmed the citation on Thursday. The medal recognizes Iglesias for the execution of his duties at the memorial on November 11, 2026. Hegseth posted photos on social media showing him pinning the award on the specialist and shaking his hand. In the accompanying caption, Hegseth wrote, "We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist."
The award follows an incident that occurred the day after the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Video from Wednesday shows the sentinel, known as a guard, loudly admonishing Hegseth’s group. The guard instructed the visitors to maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect after one woman in the group laughed. It was not immediately clear which member of the group was laughing or why.
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, addressed the situation in a statement to FOX Local. Parnell said the Secretary and the Department have always honored the sacrifices of military personnel. He noted that a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum during the commemoration.
The timeline of these events places the medal award one day after the House blocked a resolution to impeach Hegseth. That vote halted an effort to remove the Pentagon chief based on his conduct in office and his handling of the war in Iran.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier serves as a national tribute to unidentified and missing American service members. Currently, three unidentified service members are buried there: one from World War I, one from World War II, and one from the Korean War. Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as sentinels from The Old Guard, protect the site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The sentinels are responsible for ensuring visitors remain quiet and respect the memorial. Iglesias belongs to this group tasked with maintaining the solemnity of the location during the annual ceremony.
