Credit: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth/X
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth did not dodge accountability or pull rank when a young Army sentinel did his job at one of the most sacred sites in America.
On Thursday, Hegseth hosted members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) at the Pentagon and personally awarded Specialist Thomas Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day.
On Wednesday, November 11, after the official Veterans Day wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery that included President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, Chief of Staff Ricky Buria, Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Weaver, and Senior Adviser and Deputy Assistant Tami Radabaugh posed for photographs on the steps near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Video captured by news outlets showed members of the group laughing and chatting as they moved away from the photos.
Spc. Iglesias, serving as the sentinel on duty from The Old Guard, stopped his patrol, turned toward the group, and called out the standard reminder: “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!”
WATCH:
WATCH: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his group were scolded by an Army sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a Veterans Day ceremony after a disruption of the solemn atmosphere.
“All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
The chief Pentagon spokesman defended Hegseth’s commitment to honoring the sacrifices of service members while acknowledging the lapse:
“While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
Get the full story behind the tense exchange: https://t.co/OtUltYn5xZ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 12, 2026
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell later stated that the soldier “correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
The Tomb has been under continuous 24-hour watch by Old Guard sentinels since 1948. Enforcing silence and respect is routine duty at the site, which holds the remains of unidentified service members from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
Rather than ignore or minimize the moment, Hegseth brought the Old Guard to the Pentagon the next day and awarded Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal specifically “for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026,” according to a Pentagon official.
Hegseth posted photos of the ceremony on X, including one of him pinning the medal on Iglesias, with the message: “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist. Carry on Patriots.”
We love soldiers.
We love standards.
Well done, Specialist.
Carry on Patriots. https://t.co/Uk6ek6oOso
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 12, 2026
The post CLASS ACT! Pete Hegseth Awards Prestigious Military Medal to Soldier Who Reprimanded Him and His Staff for Disrupting the Solemn Atmosphere at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
