Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented a Joint Service Commendation Medal to Specialist Thomas Iglesias at the Pentagon on November 11, 2026. The ceremony recognized the soldier’s actions at Arlington National Cemetery days earlier, when he confronted Hegseth and several staff members for laughing loudly at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following a Veterans Day event attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Hegseth personally pinned the medal on Iglesias’s uniform and shook his hand, later posting photos on social media with the caption: “We love our troops. We respect discipline and standards. Outstanding job, Specialist.” The moment marked an unusual public acknowledgment of a junior enlisted soldier correcting the defense secretary’s behavior at one of the nation’s most sacred military sites.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been guarded continuously since 1948 by soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard.
Iglesias, part of that sentinel detail, reminded Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, Chief of Staff Ricky Buria, Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Weaver, and senior advisor Tammy Radabough about the solemnity required at the memorial. The tomb holds unidentified remains from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell backed the soldier afterward, saying he had “properly and respectfully reminded everyone of the decorum required.”
The Joint Service Commendation Medal is a significant decoration rarely awarded to specialists. Iglesias received it specifically for his duty performance at the tomb on November 11. The recognition comes as Hegseth faces political pressure; Representative Thomas Massie led an impeachment effort against him just days before the ceremony, though the vote failed. Democratic lawmakers supported the measure, and observers expect the issue may resurface when the new Congress convenes in January.
