‘We love standards. Well done, Specialist’, the defense secretary writes following Veterans Day visit
The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, on Thursday awarded a Joint Service Commendation Medal to the soldier who called out him and members of his staff after some in the group were heard laughing and talking near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a Veterans Day visit.
“We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist,” Hegseth wrote in a social media post. “Carry on Patriots.” The post included a series of photos of Hegseth with the soldier.
A Pentagon official confirmed to CNN that Hegseth hosted members of the 3rd infantry regiment, known as the Old Guard, at the Pentagon “where he proudly awarded Specialist Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026”.
The recognition came just one day after specialist Thomas Iglesias confronted members of Hegseth’s group at Arlington national cemetery.
Hegseth and his team were at the cemetery for a Veterans Day ceremony that was also attended by Donald Trump and JD Vance, who both laid wreaths at the memorial in honor of fallen soldiers and delivered remarks afterwards. Trump had called out Hegseth during his speech at the ceremony, saying he’s done a “fantastic job”
