U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded a medal to an Army soldier on Thursday. Just a day before that, the soldier had publicly criticized the officials of the Pentagon and their entourage for their disruptive behavior near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Soldier Thomas Iglesias ( Thomas Iglesias ) was awarded the Joint Service Medal of Honor ( Joint Service Commendation Medal ) for his performance during the Veterans Day commemoration activities on Wednesday.
These incidents drew the attention of the outside world to a select group of soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Army, known as “The Old Guard”. Since 1948, they have been guarding one of the most sacred military monuments in the United States.
On Wednesday, after the Veterans Day ceremony attended by President Donald Trump, Hergesseth, his wife, and several senior aides posed for photos near the monument. Just as this group was leaving, the laughter of one of Hergesseth's entourage could be heard.
“All visitors must always maintain a quiet and respectful atmosphere,” Iglesias shouted, stopping his patrol to address the group of people.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell subsequently stated that the soldier "correctly and politely reminded everyone to maintain good manners."
Who guards the tomb of the unknown martyrs?
Soldiers who guard the tombs of unknown martyrs are known as sentinels ( sentinels ). They are all volunteers and must go through rigorous selection and training to earn one of the most coveted military badges in the army—the identification badge for guards of the tombs of unknown martyrs ( Tomb Guard Identification Badge ). Business Insider has previously reported on the stringent training and assessments that soldiers must complete to be qualified for this role.
Since the Army began recording sentinel numbers, over 735 soldiers have been awarded this badge. Sentinels must be at least 5 feet 8 inches tall. To date, only 8 women have held this position.
Sentrys are required to stand guard in front of the monument regardless of the weather. Each sentinel performs a highly choreographed set of ceremonial steps. According to Arlington National Cemetery, each sentinel takes 21 steps, pauses for 21 seconds, and then repeats this process. These numbers symbolize 21 salutes, which represent the highest military honor.
The tomb of unknown martyrs houses the remains of unidentified American soldiers from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
These soldiers adopted a three-shift system, each shift lasting 24 hours. They wore wet gloves to improve their grip on the M14 rifles from the 1950s. During the summer, shifts were changed every 30 minutes, while in winter, they were changed every hour. However, when the cemetery was closed, the duty duration was extended to two hours.
They are also responsible for maintaining the solemnity of the memorial site and ensuring that visitors adhere to strict rules of respect. According to a press release from the Army in 2022, a sentinel stated that it is normal to correct misbehaving visitors two to three times a day.
"Usually, it's just that they don't realize," said the sentinel, "that while they are speaking, they don't realize how loud they are, or that their laughter and joking within their small circle can affect others who are paying their respects."
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