Hegseth awards medal to soldier who reprimanded group near tomb

Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded a medal on Thursday to the service member who reprimanded his group for making noise at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day. Hegseth posted a series of photos on X with the soldier, Specialist Thomas Iglesias, and other members of the unit who guard the tomb at Arlington National Cemetery around the clock. One of the photos showed Hegseth pinning a medal to Iglesias’ chest. “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist,” Hegseth wrote. “Carry on Patriots.” A Pentagon official said 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 guarding the Tomb following a Veterans Day event that included Hegseth, President Trump and other administration officials.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.