Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth honored the Army sentinel who loudly called out the Pentagon chief and his group at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, one day after the soldier admonished them for breaking decorum.
On Thursday, Hegseth hosted the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” at the Pentagon. A Pentagon official said Hegseth “proudly” awarded Spc. Thomas Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the “execution of his duties” at the Tomb.
Hegseth shared a photo of the ceremony on X with a short message.
“We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist. Carry on Patriots,” the Defense secretary wrote.
The Joint Service Commendation Medal was established in 1963.
The moment that led to the honor happened on Wednesday, Veterans Day, at Arlington National Cemetery. Hegseth and members of his senior staff had taken part in the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Afterward, they stopped to take photos.
In videos shared online, members of the group can be heard talking and laughing loudly enough to draw a sharp rebuke from the sentinel on duty.
“All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” the sentinel yelled.
Hegseth was joined by his wife, Jennifer Hegseth; his chief of staff, Ricky Buria; deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver; and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.
The sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier come from The Old Guard, the Army’s oldest active-duty infantry unit. They are known for their strict discipline and their round-the-clock watch over the Tomb, which honors unidentified American service members who gave their lives for their country. Visitors are required to stay silent and respectful at the site, and the guards are trained to enforce those rules no matter who is visiting.
Rather than brushing off the episode, Hegseth chose to publicly recognize the soldier for doing exactly what he was trained to do. He invited the entire Old Guard to the Pentagon for the ceremony.
The award fits a theme Hegseth has pushed since taking over the Pentagon: an emphasis on military standards and discipline across the force.
For Spc. Iglesias, the reward for holding the line at one of the nation’s most sacred sites came with a medal pinned by the Secretary of Defense himself.
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