Pentagon chief decorates soldier who reprimanded him and his entourage
Pete Hegseth awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal to Specialist Thomas Iglesias, who had reprimanded him and his entourage for their conduct at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Nov 11, 2026.
On November 12, 2026, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth honored a US soldier for reprimanding him and his entourage for inappropriate behavior near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Specialist Thomas Iglesias was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his conduct during the incident that occurred the previous day, November 11, 2026.
In a post on Hegseth's official X account, he expressed his pride in the soldier's actions, stating, "We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist," along with images showing the medal being pinned to the soldier's uniform and Hegseth shaking the soldier's hand.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, is a hallowed ground for American military personnel who died in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. An empty site is reserved for a Vietnam War soldier to honor missing troops from that conflict.
Video footage from US networks and social media showed Hegseth and his party gathering at the tomb after a Veterans Day ceremony on November 11, 2026. A US Army sentinel loudly warned visitors to maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect, reacting to what he perceived as laughter and chatter from the group, which included Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, Chief of Staff Ricky Buria, Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Weaver, and Senior Advisor Tami Radabaugh.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Pentagon chief decorates soldier who reprimanded him and his entourage channelnewsasia.com
