Hegseth honors guard who scolded him at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday honored the Army sentinel who forcefully scolded members of his entourage for laughing and talking near Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day.  

Hegseth posted a photo of himself on social media pinning a Joint Service Commendation Medal on the unidentified soldier's chest.

"We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist," Hegseth wrote. "Carry on Patriots." 

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On Veterans Day, Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, and three of his top deputies were seen posing for photographs on the steps overlooking the tomb, which has provided a final resting place for several of America's unidentified service members — and a site of reflection and mourning — since 1921. Members of the group could be heard chuckling and chatting as they ascended the steps. 

The sentinel — a member of the Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard — stepped forward and shouted in their direction: "All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!" 

Video of the encounter, which followed the annual Veterans Day wreath-laying ceremony, spread quickly online. 

On Wednesday evening, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued a statement saying the soldier had acted appropriately. 

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"While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum," Parnell said.

Joint Service Commendation Medals are awarded to members of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves while serving in a joint activity or on joint military staff.

Hegseth's Veterans Day flap follows his brush with impeachment earlier this week. On Tuesday, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted to effectively kill the articles of impeachment against Hegseth — for now — by blocking their consideration on the House floor and sending them back to the Judiciary Committee, where GOP leaders can hold them up until the next Congress is seated in January 2027.

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, reintroduced impeachment charges against Hegseth on Monday, alleging that the embattled Pentagon chief had committed "high crimes and misdemeanors" and abused the power of his office by violating the War Powers Resolution, conducting military operations without congressional authorization and ordering unlawful military actions in several countries.

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Democrats — who voted unanimously against shelving the impeachment charges — will have a large House majority next year after winning at least 255 seats in last week's midterm elections. They have already vowed to try to remove Hegseth from office when they take control of Congress, building on voter dissatisfaction with the war in Iran.

"In the majority, one of the first things we're gonna do is run Pete Hegseth out of town," Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader who is poised to become House speaker, said at a rally last month.

Hegseth would be just the third Cabinet official in U.S. history to be impeached, and the second in three years.

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