Hegseth awards medal to soldier who called out his team at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA: Army Specialist Thomas Iglesias has been awarded a Joint Service Commendation Medal by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after publicly reminding the defense chief and his entourage to observe silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

Iglesias received the honor on Thursday, November 12, just a day after he reprimanded the group for talking and laughing during their Veterans Day visit to the solemn military memorial.

Soldier rewarded for enforcing decorum

Hegseth personally pinned the medal onto Iglesias' uniform during the presentation recognizing the soldier's conduct at the tomb a day earlier.

Photographs posted on the defense secretary's official X account captured the moment, showing him attaching the decoration before shaking the soldier's hand.

Accompanying the pictures, Hegseth shared a brief message applauding Iglesias: “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist.”

The medal ceremony came less than 24 hours after a video of Iglesias confronting the defense secretary's group at Arlington National Cemetery began circulating widely.

Hegseth had visited the cemetery on Veterans Day, November 11, for a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump, who laid a wreath to honor fallen American service members.

Following the ceremony, Hegseth, his wife, Jennifer, and members of his senior team stopped near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for photographs.

However, the gathering drew the attention of Iglesias, who was standing guard at the memorial.

As members of the group continued talking, with laughter audible in the background, the Army specialist issued a reminder about the site's strict conduct rules.

“All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!” he announced, prompting the group to quiet down.

The moment was captured on video, which showed Hegseth briefly turning his head toward the sentinel before continuing up the steps.

The defense secretary did not visibly respond to the reprimand at the time.

Pentagon backs soldier's intervention

The Pentagon did not reprimand Iglesias for stepping in while Hegseth and his entourage were gathered at the memorial.

Instead, Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell backed the soldier's actions, saying the department understood the importance of maintaining respect for those who had served in the US military.

“While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum,” Parnell said in a statement.

He further stressed that Hegseth and the Pentagon had consistently recognized the service and sacrifices of American military personnel.

Located at Arlington National Cemetery, just outside Washington, DC, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the country's most revered military memorials.

It pays tribute to unidentified American service members who lost their lives during the First World War, Second World War and Korean War.

An empty burial site also stands in remembrance of those who remain missing from the Vietnam War.

The responsibility of guarding the memorial falls to soldiers of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment, popularly known as the Old Guard.

The sentinels maintain a continuous watch over the tomb and follow a strict set of ceremonial procedures while on duty.

Visitors are also expected to respect the solemn atmosphere by remaining silent and maintaining proper decorum throughout their visit.