WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded a medal on Thursday to a US Army sentinel who appeared to admonish him and his aides for failing to adhere to proper decorum outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day.
Hegseth posted a picture of him pinning a medal on Army Specialist Thomas Iglesias as he stood alongside members of his unit, the 3d US Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard. Hegseth wrote: "We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist. Carry on Patriots."
In a video that went viral online, Iglesias on Wednesday shouted toward Hegseth, his wife and senior aides after they were seen on video taking pictures and speaking to each other on the steps of the memorial at Arlington National Cemetery following a Veterans Day event. Laughter was heard.
"All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times," Iglesias exclaimed.
Sitting at the heart of Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a sacred site and the grave of three unknown American service members, including one from World War One. It is widely known as a place for mourning and for reflection on military service, and sentinels guard the site 24 hours a day.
Hegseth, a former Army National Guard soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, prevailed this week when the House of Representatives rejected a Republican lawmaker's effort to impeach him.
At a rare Pentagon press conference on Tuesday hours before the vote, Hegseth called the impeachment effort a farce and defended his record, which includes championing the unpopular Iran war, launching strikes on suspected drug vessels in Latin American waters and firing senior military officers.
Democrats who won control of both chambers of Congress last week have promised to investigate Hegseth for his stewardship of the US military and have not ruled out another impeachment effort.