The key facts
- The guard soldier broke off his patrol and demanded that Hegseth's group observe silence and respect
- Later, the secretary presented Specialist Thomas Iglesias with the Joint Service Commendation Medal
- The incident occurred in the same week the House of Representatives rejected an impeachment attempt against Hegseth over the war with Iran
A reprimand at the memorial
The incident took place on Veterans Day, November 11, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. As reported by The National, citing a video, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, and senior aides were taking photos and talking on the memorial's steps after the ceremony, and then laughter broke out. The sentry — a sentinel of the US Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard — broke off his patrol and shouted to the group from a distance: 'All visitors are required to maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.' According to Anadolu, the group also included chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver, and senior advisor Tami Radabe.
The Pentagon's reaction and the award
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the soldier 'correctly and respectfully reminded everyone of the need to maintain order,' adding that the department has always honored and will continue to honor the sacrifices of American service members. As early as the next day, according to Anadolu and Deutsche Welle, Hegseth received The Old Guard regiment at the Pentagon and presented Specialist Thomas Iglesias with the Joint Service Commendation Medal 'for the performance of duties' at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026. 'We love our soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist,' Hegseth wrote on the social network X. Deutsche Welle notes that this award is considered one of the highest in the US Army and is usually not given to junior enlisted personnel.
Context: a difficult week for the secretary
Deutsche Welle points out that the public reprimand came in the same week when Hegseth, under criticism, survived an impeachment attempt in the House of Representatives over his actions in the war with Iran. President Donald Trump called the war one of the main reasons for the Republicans' defeat in the midterm elections. At his first press conference in months on Tuesday, Hegseth called the impeachment attempt 'a farce, a trick' and 'sabotage.' The memorial itself, as the outlet explains, is the burial place of American service members killed in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, with an empty plot in memory of those missing in Vietnam; since 1948 it has been guarded around the clock by a soldier of The Old Guard.
