This story made a lot of news yesterday. Sec. Hegseth and a small group of people met at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier yesterday and at one point a woman in the group laughed out loud. That led to an immediate response from the sentinel standing guard in front of the tomb.
The incident took place after President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other top administration and military officials attended the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the cemetery.
In a video recorded and first reported by CNN, Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer Hegseth, along with advisers Ricky Buria, Tami Radabaugh and others are observed taking photos in front of the Tomb. As they begin to walk away, the group can be heard laughing and loudly chatting.
The sentinel — one of the service members assigned to the elite unit that stands watch over the Tomb 24 hours a day — then steps toward Hegseth and his entourage and bellows at them. “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!” he yelled.
Hegseth, himself a combat veteran who served as an officer in the Army National Guard, appears to gesture toward the sentinel before disappearing from the frame.
Here's video of the moment.
A soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier issued a verbal reprimand to a group of advisers and staffers with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. As the group broke from taking photos, a loud laugh could be heard, and the soldier guarding the tomb shouted: “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 11, 2026
I've listened a few times. What I hear is the photographer saying something like, "Okay, one more over here." Then I hear one of the women laughing loudly as she walks up the steps, but I can't tell who it is. That's when the sentinel reacted and demanded silence and respect. He did the right thing. The laughter especially was out of place and the person who did it should have known better.
But the way this was treated by the media was predictable. Here's CNN showing the clip (which was being sent out by Occupy Democrats):
We have NEVER seen a Democratic Secretary of Defense reprimanded for disrespecting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day, no less. #DemsFightForVeteransCare https://t.co/KQTXWvB3JP
— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) November 11, 2026
The Washington Post story I quoted above is headlined, "Hegseth and his entourage scolded by military sentinel at Tomb of the Unknowns." The NY Times has a similar story headlined "Soldier Shouts at Hegseth’s Group to Show ‘Respect’ at Tomb of the Unknowns." At least they mention there was a group, but the fact that Sec. Hegseth wasn't the problem didn't matter much. The readers got the message and the comments were full of attacks like these:
- "Bless this soldier for reprimanding a man who is unfit to be his boss."
- "I fear that Hegseth is going to punish the soldier."
- "Hegseth's a vile enough creature that he will punish that soldier who was only doing his solemn duty."
- "God bless that courageous soldier, who I fear will soon be reassigned to a sh__ty post far away in retaliation for doing the right thing."
- "What are the odds that Hegseth will retaliate against the guard who did his duty. No doubt his next assignment will be Antarctica"
Contrary to the predictions of the progressive subscribers of the Post, the Pentagon actually praised the actions of the soldier.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement that the sentinels’ reaction was appropriate.
“The Secretary and the entire Department have always honored — and will always honor — the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe,” Mr. Parnell said. “While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
Today, Sec. Hegseth awarded the soldier a medal for his actions.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded a medal on Thursday to the service member who reprimanded his group for making noise at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day.
Hegseth posted a series of photos on X with the soldier, Specialist Thomas Iglesias, and other members of the unit who guard the tomb at Arlington National Cemetery around the clock. One of the photos showed Hegseth pinning a medal to Iglesias' chest...
A Pentagon official said Hegseth "welcomed the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard, to 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."
Soldiers reminding visitors to maintain decorum at the tomb is not uncommon. One member of the regiment that guards the tomb said in an Army interview in 2022 that sentinels react to the crowd two or three times per day.
Here are the photos:
We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist. Carry on Patriots. https://t.co/Uk6ek6oOso
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 12, 2026
Again, anyone accompanying the Secretary to the Tomb ought to have known better than to bust into a laugh at the site. But Sec. Hegseth's response is the right one. The sentinel acted perfectly appropriately and did his duty with no fear or favor. He deserved to be credited and thanked for that in what probably was a difficult situation for him.
But the media, not so much. The Post and Times don't seem to have published stories about the medal being awarded yet. Most of the outlets that have covered it are still making it sound as if Hegseth was the problem here.
- USAToday: Hegseth awards medal to guard who scolded him at Tomb of Unknown Soldier
- Boston Globe: Hegseth awards soldier who ordered Defense Secretary to main ‘respect’ at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- Guardian: Pete Hegseth awards medal to soldier who reprimanded him near Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Newsweek: Hegseth Awards Medal to Soldier Who Rebuked Him at Tomb of Unknown Soldier
A few outlets did a little better:
- CBS News: Hegseth awards medal to soldier who reprimanded his group at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- CNN: Hegseth awards medal to soldier who reprimanded his group at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
So, bottom line, kudos to Specialist Thomas Iglesias for his actions and to Sec. Hegseth for his response. Partial credit at best to the news outlets who jumped on this story with misleading headlines and ill intent and the progressives who assumed the worst. Journalists are free to behave like left-wing partisans eager to see Hegseth impeached, but this story really isn't a reason to do that.
