Defense Secretary Hegseth honors soldier who reminded him of Tomb etiquette
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth presented Specialist Thomas Iglesias with the Joint Service Commendation Medal after the soldier reprimanded Hegseth’s party for breaking silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded Specialist Thomas Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his conduct while guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Nov. 11, 2026. In a post on X, Hegseth posted a photo of the medal being pinned on Iglesias and wrote, "> We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist."
The award followed a Veterans Day ceremony in which President Donald Trump laid a wreath at the tomb. After Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, and senior aides took photos on the steps, Iglesias reminded the group that "all visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times." A Pentagon official confirmed the medal was presented in recognition of Iglesias’s execution of his duties at the tomb.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a highly revered memorial for unidentified service members from World Wars I and II and the Korean War, is guarded continuously by soldiers of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard. The Joint Service Commendation Medal is a relatively high-level award that is not commonly given to junior enlisted personnel.