Hegseth awards medal to soldier who rebuked him at Arlington
What's new: The Pentagon gave Spc. Thomas Iglesias a Joint Service Commendation Medal after he ordered Hegseth's group to keep decorum at the tomb.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded a Joint Service Commendation Medal to Spc. Thomas Iglesias, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guard who publicly rebuked Hegseth and his aides after a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Video from Wednesday showed Iglesias calling for “respect” after a loud laugh as Hegseth posed for photos near the tomb with his wife and senior staff. On Thursday, Hegseth welcomed the Army unit that guards the site to the Pentagon and presented the medal for Iglesias’ conduct on Nov. 11. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the soldier had “correctly and respectfully” enforced standards at one of the military’s most solemn memorials.