Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted members of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier's guard unit at the Pentagon to present Specialist Thomas Iglesias with the Joint Service Commendation Medal. The junior enlisted soldier had previously called out Hegseth, his wife, and senior aides for laughing while taking photos on the steps of the monument following a Veterans Day ceremony. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell explicitly defended the soldier for demanding proper decorum at the site. The public commendation coincides with continued political pressure against Hegseth, who recently survived a House impeachment attempt over his military leadership.
Key points
The Pentagon officially defended the soldier's decision to enforce noise and respect stan…: The Pentagon officially defended the soldier's decision to enforce noise and respect standards against the defense secretary.
Hegseth commended the specialist for adherence to military standards despite being the su…: Hegseth commended the specialist for adherence to military standards despite being the subject of the reprimand.
The ceremony occurred as Hegseth faces looming congressional investigations and criticism…: The ceremony occurred as Hegseth faces looming congressional investigations and criticism regarding his handling of the defense post.
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US defence secretary
Pete Hegseth has awarded a military medal to the Army soldier who reprimanded him and his aides for failing to maintain silence and decorum at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a Veterans Day visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
Hegseth welcomed members of the Army unit responsible for guarding the memorial to the Pentagon on Thursday and presented Specialist Thomas Iglesias with the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Pentagon said.
The award was given "for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026".
Hegseth also shared photographs of the ceremony on social media, including one showing him pinning the medal on Iglesias. "We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist," he wrote.
Soldier reminded Hegseth's team to maintain silence
Iglesias drew attention after a video from Wednesday showed him reprimanding Hegseth, his wife Jennifer and several senior aides at the memorial following a Veterans Day ceremony attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The group had taken photographs on the empty steps in front…
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