Tomb of the Unknowns Sentinel Awarded After Ceremony Warning

A sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was commended today for ordering a group to maintain respect following a Veterans Day ceremony yesterday.

That group included Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, in what became a viral moment. Today, Hegseth presented the sentinel with a Joint Service Commendation Medal. Hegseth pinned the medal on Army Spc. Thomas Iglesias in his office at the Pentagon, after welcoming soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment, which guards the tomb at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

"We love soldiers. We love standards," Hegseth wrote in a social media post. "Well done, specialist."

After hearing a member of Hegseth's party laugh while the group posed for pictures in front of the tomb, Iglesias stopped his march and yelled, "All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times."

The Joint Service Commendation Medal is awarded in the name of the secretary of war to members of the armed forces who distinguish themselves by meritorious achievement or service.

The Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment - commonly referred to as The Old Guard - is the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army and the Army's official ceremonial unit and escort to the president. It has kept a 24-hour vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier without pause since November 1925.