Pete Hegseth Awards Soldier Who Reprimanded His Entourage at Tomb

Pete Hegseth to Soldier Thank You For Scolding Us, Here's a Medal!!! Published November 12, 2026 9:26 AM PST Pete Hegseth has given the U.S. Army Sentinel who yelled at him and his crew for laughing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day a medal. The Secretary of Defense gave Thomas Iglesias -- who is part of the elite ceremonial unit guarding the tomb -- a Joint Service Commendation Medal Thursday. We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist. Carry on Patriots. https://t.co/Uk6ek6oOso @SecWar Sharing a pic of him awarding the medal on social media, Hegseth wrote ... "We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist. Carry on Patriots." A War Department official tells TMZ ... "As shown in the photos, Secretary Hegseth welcomed the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard, to the Pentagon where he proudly awarded Specialist Thomas Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026." As TMZ reported earlier ... Iglesias yelled at Hegseth and his staff after they laughed on the steps near the memorial. In a viral clip, Iglesias bellowed ... "All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!" Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, who famously guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 24/7, don't wear any military insignia on their uniforms to match the unidentified soldiers buried there. Related articles Pete Hegseth TMZ DC Politics News Veterans Day Department of War