Why an Army specialist had the guts to scold the secretary of defense

Army specialist Thomas Iglesias called for silence and respect after a group accompanying Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth became noisy at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day. The article argues that his intervention showed the Old Guard’s commitment to protecting the Tomb’s dignity, while Hegseth’s response helped turn the incident into an endorsement of military standards.

Hegseth invited Iglesias and fellow soldiers to the Pentagon the next day and awarded him a Joint Service Commendation Medal. The Tomb holds the remains of unidentified US service members from the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War, and has been continuously guarded since 1937. Its sentinels’ precise routine includes 21 steps and a 21-second pause, recalling the honour of a 21-gun salute.