WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal to Spc. Thomas Iglesias — the Army sentinel who, one day earlier, stopped his patrol at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and reprimanded Hegseth and his senior staff for laughing and chatting at the memorial.
The Pentagon said Hegseth welcomed members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment — The Old Guard, the unit that guards the tomb around the clock — to the Pentagon, where he “proudly awarded Specialist Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026.”
Hegseth posted photos of the pinning on social media with the caption: “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist.”
The medal grew out of a moment that played out in front of television cameras on Veterans Day. After the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery — attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance — Hegseth posed for photos on the steps in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer Hegseth, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh. Laughter and chatting could be heard from the group as the photos wrapped up.
Iglesias, patrolling the plaza, halted his walk, faced the party and delivered the order sentinels give any visitor who breaks the silence: “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.” The exchange was captured on video and spread widely online.
Video: the Veterans Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 11, where the reprimand took place. (CNN)
The Pentagon backed the sentinel the same day. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the soldier “correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier holds the remains of unidentified American service members from World War I, World War II and the Korean War, and Old Guard sentinels have kept a continuous watch over it since 1948. The Joint Service Commendation Medal, established in 1963, ranks among the military’s higher decorations and is not typically awarded to junior enlisted soldiers.
The award came two days after the House voted to bury articles of impeachment against Hegseth in committee.
