'Well done, specialist': Hegseth honours soldier who scolded his team at war memorial

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has awarded a military medal to the Army soldier who reprimanded him and his aides for failing to maintain silence and decorum at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a Veterans Day visit to Arlington National Cemetery.Hegseth welcomed members of the Army unit responsible for guarding the memorial to the Pentagon on Thursday and presented Specialist Thomas Iglesias with the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Pentagon said.The award was given "for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026".Hegseth also shared photographs of the ceremony on social media, including one showing him pinning the medal on Iglesias. "We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist," he wrote.Soldier reminded Hegseth's team to maintain silenceIglesias drew attention after a video from Wednesday showed him reprimanding Hegseth, his wife Jennifer and several senior aides at the memorial following a Veterans Day ceremony attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.The group had taken photographs on the empty steps in front of the tomb. Laughter was heard as they spoke among themselves, prompting Iglesias to call out: "All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times."Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell had defended the soldier's intervention after the video emerged, saying Iglesias had "correctly and…