Medal awarded to soldier who corrected Hegseth at Tomb
Spc. Thomas Iglesias received the Joint Service Commendation Medal after enforcing silence during a November 11 ceremony.
By Nikolai Morales ·
Specialist Thomas Iglesias received the Joint Service Commendation Medal on November 12, 2026, for actions taken the previous day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes his enforcement of protocol during a high-profile visit by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his entourage.
Video from the November 11 Veterans Day event shows Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, and senior aides taking photographs on the steps before the memorial. As the group dispersed, a loud laugh was audible. Iglesias, a member of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, intervened with a verbal reprimand. He instructed that all visitors maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.
Hegseth posted a photograph of Iglesias wearing the pin to X on November 12. The defense secretary wrote, “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist.” A Pentagon official confirmed that Hegseth welcomed the Old Guard to the Pentagon for the ceremony. The official stated the medal was awarded for Iglesias’s execution of duties at the tomb.
The Joint Service Commendation Medal is a high-ranking military decoration. It is not typically issued to junior enlisted service members. The tomb serves as the final resting place for unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. A soldier from the 3rd Infantry Regiment has guarded the site continuously since 1948.
