U.S. army guard receives medal from Hegseth after scolding him at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has given a top award to the service member who scolded him and his staff at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Pentagon said Specialist Thomas Iglesias 'correctly and respectfully' called for proper decorum
The Associated Press
·
Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Hegseth delegation appears to be rebuked at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
November 11|
Duration
0:43
A U.S. army sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier appeared to rebuke War Secretary Pete Hegseth, his wife and aides after loud laughter was heard from the group.U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has given a top award to the service member who scolded him and his staff at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Hegseth welcomed to the Pentagon the army unit that guards the tomb and awarded Specialist Thomas Iglesias with the Joint Service Commendation Medal "for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Nov. 11, 2026," the Pentagon said.
On social media, Hegseth posted photos Thursday that show him pinning the award and shaking hands with a soldier. His post says: "We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist."
We love soldiers.
We love standards.
Well done, Specialist.
Carry on Patriots. https://t.co/Uk6ek6oOso
—SecWarIglesias reprimanded Hegseth and a group of his staffers when a loud laugh was heard after they took photos at the site following a ceremony that included U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice- President JD Vance.
Video showed Hegseth taking photos on the empty steps in front of the tomb on Wednesday with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.
Incident follows impeachment vote
The tomb is considered to be one of the most solemn and revered war memorials in the U.S., being the final resting place of unidentified soldiers from the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War. It has been guarded around the clock regardless of weather conditions by a soldier from the Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as "The Old Guard," since 1948.
The Joint Service Commendation Medal is considered to be one of the higher awards in the military and is not typically issued to junior enlisted service members.
WATCH | Hegseth survives impeachment vote:
Republicans block impeachment push against Hegseth
November 10|
Duration
2:43
The House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to shelve impeachment articles against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Shortly after, U.S. President Donald Trump called outgoing Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, who put forward the motion, a 'major loser.'Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's top spokesperson, said soon after video of the reprimand emerged that the soldier "correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum."
The scolding drew attention once more to the embattled war secretary, who had survived an attempt to open impeachment proceedings. The effort was led by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and backed by Democrats, though 11 missed the vote as other Republicans rejected the effort.
LISTEN | David Smith, Guardian D.C. bureau chief, on Hegseth's future:
Front Burner28:11Pete Hegseth survives impeachment, for now
While Hegseth's critics were not successful in Tuesday's vote, Republicans may have only delayed a bid to impeach him. With Democrats set to take control of the House and Senate in January, those efforts are likely to be renewed.
Hegseth rebuked the move Tuesday in his first news conference in months, arguing that he had committed none of the high crimes required in the U.S. Constitution for his removal and framing the effort as an indictment against the nation's service members and their successes.
"This is not patriotism," Hegseth argued. "This is sabotage."
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.