Hegseth hands medal to soldier who enforced solemnity at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded Specialist Thomas Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal after the soldier corrected Hegseth’s party for violating the silence expected at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded Specialist Thomas Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for carrying out his duties while guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Nov. 11, 2026. In a post on X, Hegseth shared a photo of the medal being pinned on Iglesias and wrote, "> We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist."
The award came after a Veterans Day ceremony in which President Donald Trump laid a wreath at the tomb. After Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, and senior aides posed for 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 said the medal was presented in recognition of Iglesias’s performance of his duties at the tomb.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a deeply revered memorial for unidentified service members from World Wars I and II and the Korean War. It 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.