--- title: "Hegseth Awards Medal to Sentinel Who Reprimanded Him for Laughing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" description: "U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded a medal to Specialist Thomas Iglesias, who on November 11 reprimanded him and his aides for laughing near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Pentagon confirmed the award and praised the sentry for his discipline." date: 2026-11-13T10:39:32.969Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/hegseth-awards-medal-to-sentinel tags: [pete-hegseth, pentagon, tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier, veterans-day, arlington-national-cemetery] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Hegseth Awards Medal to Sentinel Who Reprimanded Him for Laughing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ![Glowing neon medal on a dark background symbolizing military award and discipline](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/13/hegset-nagradil-karaulnogo-za-zamechanie-u-mogily-neizvestnogo-soldata/hegset-nagradil-karaulnogo-za-zamechanie-u-mogily-neizvestnogo-soldata-1.webp) ## Key Points - Pete Hegseth presented an Army Commendation Medal to Specialist Thomas Iglesias for publicly reprimanding the secretary and his aides at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. - The incident occurred on November 11 on Veterans Day following a wreath-laying ceremony and was captured by White House television pool cameras. - The Pentagon confirmed the award and praised the sentry for discipline and flawless service, noting his respectful manner of address. - Just days before the incident, on November 10, the House of Representatives blocked an attempt to impeach Hegseth. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has presented an Army Commendation Medal to Specialist Thomas Iglesias, an infantry soldier who served in the honor guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The award comes in response to an incident where this exact sentry publicly reprimanded the Pentagon chief and his aides for breaking the silence at one of the nation's premier military memorials. Hegseth posted photos from the ceremony on his social media account on X, accompanying them with the words: “We love soldiers. We value standards. Great job, specialist. Keep it up, patriots.” ### The Incident at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier The events unfolded on November 11, Veterans Day, as Hegseth participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial. According to White House television pool cameras that captured the entire episode, the secretary lingered on the steps of the Tomb to take photos with his wife and aides. Once the picture was taken, the group began walking back up the steps, and someone in the party laughed loudly. Iglesias, who was on his patrol of the memorial, interrupted his route, turned toward the departing officials, and loudly admonished them, reminding everyone of the need to maintain silence and proper decorum at a site of military remembrance. The Pentagon later emphasized that the sentry addressed the head of the department in a respectful manner. ### The Award and Pentagon's Reaction The Department of Defense confirmed that Hegseth invited the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment to the agency's headquarters and personally recognized Iglesias for faithfully executing his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The sentry was praised for his discipline and flawless service, and the secretary himself called his actions exemplary, urging “patriots” to uphold standards. Thus, the public reprimand delivered by a junior sentry to the defense secretary was officially recognized not as a breach of insubordination, but as an example of proper duty performance. ### Political Context: Impeachment and Veterans Day The incident and subsequent award occurred against the backdrop of a tense political climate surrounding Hegseth himself. Just days before the memorial episode, on November 10, the U.S. House of Representatives blocked an attempt to impeach the defense secretary. Under these circumstances, Hegseth's public backing of the sentry who reprimanded him was seen as a demonstration of loyalty to military standards and to the rank-and-file personnel who are unafraid to remind even the highest leadership of discipline. ### What Are the Tombs of the Unknown Soldier The Tombs of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery are one of the primary U.S. military memorials, housing the remains of unidentified American service members: a World War I soldier whose body was recovered in France, as well as unknown soldiers from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The honor guard has stood round-the-clock watch at the memorial in all weather since 1948, and maintaining silence and ritual in this zone is part of the military tradition that Iglesias, according to the Pentagon, defended correctly and in accordance with service standards. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Хегсет наградил медалью караульного, который отчитал министра за смех у Могилы неизвестного солдата](https://meduza.io/news/2026/11/13/hegset-nagradil-medalyu-karaulnogo-kotoryy-otchital-ministra-za-smeh-u-mogily-neizvestnogo-soldata) - Primary source: timeline of the November 11 incident, Iglesias's reprimand, Hegseth's social media posts, Pentagon confirmation, and the blocked impeachment on November 10. - [Хегсет наградил караульного, сделавшего ему замечание криком](https://www.rbc.ru/society/12/11/2026/6af5fb392b90a9de3da80d9a) - Confirms the awarding of a medal to Iglesias for upholding discipline and confronting the breach of silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. - [Глава Пентагона наградил военного, сделавшего ему замечание](https://snob.ru/news/glava-pentagona-nagradil-voennogo-sdelavshego-emu-zamechanie/) - Adds details: Arlington Cemetery, X publication, respectful form of address, guard history dating back to 1948, and the context of impeachment attempts. ## FAQ ### Who awarded the sentinel a medal? U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented the commendation medal to Specialist Thomas Iglesias. ### Why did Hegseth give the award? Because Sentry Iglesias reprimanded and called out Hegseth and his aides for laughing and talking loudly near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. ### When did the incident happen? On November 11, Veterans Day, after a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial in Arlington Cemetery. ### Did the Pentagon confirm the award? Yes, the Pentagon confirmed that Hegseth invited the 3rd Infantry Regiment to headquarters and recognized Iglesias for dutifully executing his responsibilities, praising the sentry's discipline.