Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented a military decoration on Thursday to the service member who publicly reminded his group to observe proper conduct at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during Veterans Day ceremonies.
Hegseth shared a series of photographs on X featuring the soldier, Specialist Thomas Iglesias, alongside fellow members of the unit responsible for guarding the tomb at Arlington National Cemetery on a continuous basis. Among the images was one depicting Hegseth pinning a medal onto Iglesias’ uniform.
“We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist,” Hegseth wrote. “Carry on Patriots.”
A Pentagon official confirmed that Hegseth “welcomed the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard, 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.”
Iglesias was performing his sentinel duties at the tomb following a Veterans Day ceremony attended by Hegseth, President Trump, and various other administration officials. Video footage captured Hegseth, his wife, his chief of staff, and several aides posing for photographs in close proximity to the tomb. When laughter broke out among the group, Iglesias firmly announced: “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
In response to the incident, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated to CBS News: “The Secretary and the entire Department have always honored-and will always honor-the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe. While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
It is worth noting that such reminders from soldiers guarding the tomb are not unusual occurrences. A member of the regiment responsible for protecting the tomb noted in a 2022 Army interview that sentinels address crowd behavior approximately two to three times per day.
