Hegseth pins medal on Old Guard sentinel who rebuked his party for laughing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Hegseth pins medal on Old Guard sentinel who rebuked his party for laughing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal to the Army sentinel who reprimanded him and his senior staff for laughing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, the Associated Press reported.

Hegseth welcomed members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, to the Pentagon and honored Spc. Thomas Iglesias "for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026," a Pentagon official told CBS News. Hegseth posted photos on X of himself pinning the medal on Iglesias, writing: "We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist."

Video from Wednesday showed Hegseth posing for photos on the steps in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh, following a ceremony that included President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. After a loud laugh, Iglesias called out: "All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times," prompting the group to turn around as they walked away, according to USA Today.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said soon after the footage spread that the soldier "correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum." The commendation medal is one of the higher military awards and is not typically given to junior enlisted troops, the AP noted. Sentinels routinely remind crowds to keep quiet; one Old Guard member said in a 2022 Army interview that guards address visitors two or three times a day, CBS reported.

The tomb holds unidentified service members from World War I, World War II and the Korean War and has been guarded around the clock by Old Guard soldiers since 1948. Focus Plus Media will follow any further response from the Pentagon.