Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a military medal on Thursday to the Army sentinel who, the day before, had told him and his aides to keep quiet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Spc. Thomas Iglesias received the Joint Service Commendation Medal at the Pentagon, where Mr. Hegseth hosted soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, which has guarded the tomb since 1948. The Pentagon said the medal was “for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Nov. 11, 2026,” according to an Associated Press report carried by CBC.
Mr. Hegseth posted photos of himself pinning the medal and shaking the soldier’s hand. “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist. Carry on Patriots,” he wrote.
The reprimand came on Wednesday, after a Veterans Day ceremony where President Trump laid a wreath. Video showed Mr. Hegseth posing for pictures on the empty steps in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, and three senior aides: his chief of staff, Ricky Buria, his deputy chief of staff, Patrick Weaver, and a senior adviser, Tami Radabaugh.
As the group left, someone in it laughed loudly. Specialist Iglesias stopped his patrol and shouted, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” NBC News reported.
Mr. Hegseth didn’t acknowledge it. He looked over his shoulder and kept walking up a flight of stairs.
Asked about the episode, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement that Mr. Hegseth and the department “have always honored” the sacrifices of service members. “While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum,” he said.
The medal itself is an odd fit. It ranks among the higher military awards and rarely goes to junior enlisted troops. Military.com reported that the Defense Department’s awards manual reserves it for service members who distinguish themselves while assigned to a joint duty activity, which made it an unusual choice for a soldier in an Army regiment. The Army Commendation Medal ranks just below it.
Tomb guards are volunteers. They go through a demanding selection process for the Tomb Guard Identification Badge, one of the rarest in the Army, and more than 735 soldiers have earned it since the Army began keeping count, Business Insider reported. Sentinels must stand at least 5 feet 8 inches. Only eight women have done the job.
The tomb holds the remains of unidentified American service members from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. According to Arlington National Cemetery, each sentinel marches 21 steps, pauses 21 seconds and repeats, a nod to the 21-gun salute. Guards wear wet gloves to grip their 1950s-era M14 rifles and are relieved every 30 minutes in summer and every hour in winter.
Keeping visitors in line is part of the post. In a 2022 Army news release, one sentinel said guards typically correct people two or three times a day. “It’s usually just them being oblivious,” the sentinel said. “They’re talking and not realizing how loud they’re being, or laughing or making jokes amongst their group.”
The scene at Arlington came one day after the House voted 211-204 to shelve articles of impeachment against Mr. Hegseth. Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who opposed the Iran war and lost his seat after a Trump-led campaign against him, introduced the articles. Democrats backed them, though 11 Democrats missed the vote.
At his first news conference in months on Tuesday, Mr. Hegseth said he had committed none of the high crimes the Constitution requires for removal. “This is not patriotism,” he said. “This is sabotage.” He has also called the effort “political spectacle.” Mr. Trump has said he would stand by Mr. Hegseth even if the House impeached him.
That could be tested soon. Democrats take control of the House and the Senate in January, and Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader in line to become speaker, has signaled that his party will keep pushing to remove Mr. Hegseth.