Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded an Army soldier a medal on Thursday, one day after the soldier publicly reprimanded the Pentagon chief and his entourage for boisterous behavior near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Spc. Thomas Iglesias received the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his conduct during Wednesday’s Veterans Day observance.
“We love soldiers. We love standards.” Hegseth wrote in an accompanying social media post. “Well done, Specialist.”
These developments have spotlighted the specially selected soldiers from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard, who have guarded the nation’s most sacred military memorial since 1948.
On Wednesday, Hegseth, his wife, and several senior aides were posing for photographs near the memorial following a Veterans Day ceremony attended by President Donald Trump. As the group departed, laughter from a member of Hegseth’s party could be heard.
“All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” Iglesias shouted, stopping his patrol to address the group.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell subsequently said the soldier had “correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
SSgt. Madelyn Keech/US Air Force
Who guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?
The soldiers who guard the tomb, known as sentinels, are volunteers who undergo a demanding selection and training process to earn one of the Army’s rarest military badges, the Tomb Guard Identification Badge. Business Insider previously documented the rigorous training and evaluations soldiers must complete to qualify for the role.
Over 735 soldiers have earned the badge since the Army started tracking sentinel numbers. Sentinels must be at least 5 feet 8 inches tall. Just eight women have held the job.
Sentinels are on duty at the memorial regardless of weather. Each follows a tightly choreographed ceremonial routine. According to Arlington National Cemetery, each sentinel marches 21 steps, pauses for 21 seconds, and repeats the sequence. The number symbolizes the 21-gun salute, the military’s highest ceremonial honor.
The tomb contains the remains of unidentified American service members from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
The soldiers work on a three-team rotation schedule, working 24 hours at a time, and wearing wet gloves to improve the grip on their 1950s-era M14 rifle. Guards are swapped out every 30 minutes in the summer and each hour during winter. But when the cemetery is closed, postings last for two hours.
They are also responsible for preserving the dignity of the memorial and ensuring visitors observe its strict standards of respect. In a 2022 Army news release, one sentinel said it’s normal to correct misbehaving visitors two or three times a day.
“It’s usually just them being oblivious,” the sentinel said. “They’re talking and not realizing how loud they’re being, or laughing or making jokes amongst their group. It detracts from the other people that are trying to pay their respect.”
