Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal to Specialist Thomas Iglesias, the Army sentinel who reminded Mr. Hegseth and his party to keep silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after Wednesday’s Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Mr. Hegseth welcomed a group of the tomb’s guards to the Pentagon and presented the medal to Specialist Iglesias, USA Today and the Associated Press reported. “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist,” Mr. Hegseth wrote on social media alongside photographs of the ceremony.

On Wednesday, Mr. Hegseth, his wife and a group of senior advisers posed for photographs in front of the tomb. As they walked away, Specialist Iglesias called out, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.” Some in the group had been heard laughing and talking, according to USA Today. The moment was captured by television cameras.

The Pentagon backed the sentinel the same day. In a statement, it said the “soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”

The Joint Service Commendation Medal is considered one of the military’s top awards and is not usually given to junior enlisted service members, DW reported.

The tomb holds the remains of an unidentified American soldier killed in World War I. It is guarded 24 hours a day by sentinels from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard. Serving as a sentinel is considered one of the highest honors in the U.S. military.

At the Arlington ceremony, President Donald J. Trump praised Mr. Hegseth for doing a “fantastic job” at the Pentagon.