WASHINGTON (The Thursday Times) — US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has awarded a medal to the soldier who rebuked him and his aides for laughing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day, a day after video of the reprimand spread online.
Hegseth presented Specialist Thomas Iglesias of the Army’s 3rd US Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, with the Joint Service Commendation Medal at the Pentagon on Thursday. The Pentagon said the award was “for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026.”
“We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist,” Hegseth wrote on social media, alongside photos of himself pinning on the medal and shaking the soldier’s hand. He had invited members of the regiment to the Pentagon to watch, a defence official said.
What happened at the tomb
On Wednesday, after a Veterans Day ceremony attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, Hegseth was filmed taking photos on the steps in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, his chief of staff, Ricky Buria, his deputy chief of staff, Patrick Weaver, and his senior adviser, Tami Radabaugh.
After loud laughter was heard from the group, Iglesias called out from his post: “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.” He then carried on walking his route. The Thursday Times reported the rebuke on Wednesday.
Sentinels at the tomb routinely remind visitors of its strict rules on noise and conduct. Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said soon after the video emerged that the soldier had “correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
A rare award for a junior soldier
The Joint Service Commendation Medal, created in 1963, goes to members of the armed forces for outstanding achievement or meritorious service while serving in a joint posting. It is considered one of the higher military awards and is not usually given to junior enlisted soldiers.
The tomb, at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, holds the remains of unidentified American soldiers from the First World War, the Second World War, and the Korean War. Soldiers of the Old Guard keep watch over it around the clock.
The episode came a day after Hegseth survived an impeachment attempt in the House, which sent the charges to a committee. With Democrats set to control both chambers of Congress from January, his critics are expected to try again.
