Hegseth Awards Medal to Soldier Who Enforced Tomb’s Rules

On November 12, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented Specialist Thomas Iglesias with a Joint Service Commendation Medal at the Pentagon. Iglesias serves in the Army unit called the Old Guard, which guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery around the clock.

The award recognized Iglesias’s actions on November 11, after a Veterans Day ceremony at the cemetery. Hegseth, his wife and aides had posed for photographs near the tomb. As members of the group were heard talking and laughing, Iglesias stopped his patrol and called out, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Iglesias had courteously reminded the group to observe proper conduct. Hegseth shared photos of the medal presentation on social media and wrote, “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist.”

Sentinels at the tomb are expected to uphold a respectful atmosphere and may correct visitors who become too loud. A member of the regiment said in a 2022 Army interview that sentinels respond to the crowd two or three times a day.