Service members participate in an Armed Forces full honors wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, June 7, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser)
A soldier did his duty, and has been honored with an award from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
It is unusual in that the “duty” involved the soldier’s public reprimand of Hegseth and his entourage during a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The reprimand came from a soldier, on duty, scolding, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
Hegseth had been at the site with others on Veterans Day, and audio confirms an audible laugh coming from the group. It was not known who laughed.
But the result was clear:
The Defense Department confirmed that Hegseth, according to Military.com, “welcomed the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard, to the Pentagon ‘where he proudly awarded’ Specialist Thomas Iglesias the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Nov. 11.”
“We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist,” Hegseth wrote on X, adding, “Carry on Patriots.”
The medal was given hours after on-scene video outside the Tomb captured the sentinel halting his walk, facing Hegseth’s party, and calling out, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” Military.com reported.
The report said even before the medal, the Pentagon had backed the soldier.
Spokesman Sean Parnell said the soldier “correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
The report said those sentinels on duty respond to crowds two or three times a day for similar situations.
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[ H/T WorldNetDaily ]
