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Hegseth welcomed to the Pentagon the Army unit that guards the
tomb and awarded Spc. Thomas Iglesias with the Joint Service
Commendation Medal “for the execution of his duties at the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026,” the Pentagon said.
Iglesias reprimanded Hegseth and a group of his staffers when a
loud laugh was heard after they took photos at the site
following a ceremony that included President Donald Trump and
Vice President JD Vance.
Video showed Hegseth taking photos on the empty steps in front
of the tomb on Wednesday with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff
Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior
adviser Tami Radabaugh.
The tomb is considered to be one of the most solemn and revered
war memorials in the U.S., being the final resting place of
unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II and the
Korean War. It has been guarded around the clock — rain or shine
— by a soldier from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known
as “The Old Guard,” since 1948.
The Joint Service Commendation Medal is considered to be one of
the higher awards in the military and is not typically issued to
junior enlisted service members.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, said soon after
video of the reprimand emerged that the soldier “correctly and
respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
The scolding drew attention once more to the embattled defense
secretary, who had survived an impeachment attempt the day
before.
The effort was led by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and backed
by Democrats. While Hegseth’s critics were not successful in
Tuesday’s vote, Republicans may have only delayed a bid to
impeach him. With Democrats set to take control of the House and
Senate in January, those efforts are likely to be renewed.
Hegseth rebuked the move Tuesday in his first news conference in
months, arguing that he had committed none of the high crimes
required in the Constitution for his removal and framing the
effort as an indictment against the nation’s service members and
their successes.
“This is not patriotism,” Hegseth argued. “This is sabotage.”
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