The tomb guard who publicly told US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s group to keep quiet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day has been awarded a medal by Hegseth himself, turning an awkward moment at Arlington National Cemetery into a public show of support for the sentinel.
On Thursday, 12 November, Hegseth presented Specialist Thomas Iglesias with the Joint Service Commendation Medal at the Pentagon, a day after a video of the incident spread widely online, CNN, NBC News and Military Times reported.
What the tomb guard did at Arlington
The episode took place on Wednesday, 11 November, after the 73rd National Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Once the official ceremony had ended, members of Hegseth’s party were seen taking photographs near the Tomb, with some chatting and laughing, according to CNN.
Video recorded at the scene showed the on-duty tomb guard stopping his measured walk, turning towards the group and issuing the standard command reserved for visitors who break the site’s rules: “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” Military.com reported. Fox News and NBC News described the sentinel as reprimanding Hegseth and his entourage.
The clip was widely shared on social media, with many viewers praising the soldier for enforcing the Tomb’s long-standing standards regardless of who was in front of him.
A medal for the tomb guard at the Pentagon
Rather than allowing the episode to become a lasting embarrassment, Hegseth invited soldiers of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard, to the Pentagon the next day. A Pentagon official told CNN and NBC News that Hegseth awarded Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the execution of his duties at the Tomb on 11 November.
Hegseth also shared photographs of the ceremony on social media. “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist,” his post read, according to Military Times. Military.com noted that the Pentagon had backed the soldier even before the medal was presented.
The choice of award drew some comment. Military.com pointed out that, under the Defense Department’s awards manual, the Joint Service Commendation Medal is normally linked to service in joint assignments, rather than duty within a single service such as the Army’s ceremonial unit.
Why silence matters at the Tomb
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the most solemn sites in the United States. The first unknown soldier, brought back from France after the First World War, was interred there on 11 November 1921. Unknown service members from the Second World War and the Korean War were later laid to rest at the site.
Sentinels from The Old Guard have kept a continuous 24-hour watch over the Tomb since 1926, Military Times noted, in every kind of weather. Each tomb guard is trained to enforce strict decorum, and when visitors become noisy or disrespectful, the sentinel is expected to halt and deliver a formal reminder, as Iglesias did, no matter the visitor’s rank or status.
What happens next
The Pentagon has not said whether there will be any further review of the conduct of Hegseth’s group at the Tomb. For Iglesias, the medal adds formal recognition to a moment that has already made him one of the most talked-about soldiers in the country this week, and has renewed public attention on the traditions of The Old Guard.
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Sources: CNN, NBC News, Military Times, Military.com, Fox News.
