Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

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Q : How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb and why ?
A :  Twenty-one steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given.

Q : How long does he hesitate after his crisp turn to face east, and how long after his
      turn to face north, before begining his return walk and why ?
A : Twenty-one seconds each...for the same reason as answer number 1.

Q : Why are the gloves worn wet ?
A : His gloves are moistened to prevent losing his grip on the rifle.

Q : What is special about the shoes they wear ?
A : The shoes are made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.

Q : What about the uniforms they wear ?
A : Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform.

Q : Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time, and if not, why not ?
A : No. He will always carry the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. This is to signify
that the sentinel stands between the tomb and any threat.

Q : How often are the guards changed ?
A : Tomb guards are changed every thirty minutes between 8 AM and 7 PM during the period from early Spring to early Autumn (April 1 through September 30), and every hour between 8 AM to 5 PM the rest of the year. At all other times (i.e., while the cemetery is closed), the guard is changed every hour.

Q : Are there physical traits that must be met to be considered for this duty ?
A : For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall
and his waist size cannot exceed 30."

Q : What are some of the other duties of the Guard ?
A : They usually commit two years of life to guard the tomb.

Duty time when not "walking" is spent in the Tomb Guard Quarters below the Memorial Display Room of the Memorial Amphitheater where they study Cemetery "knowledge," clean their weapons and help the rest of their relief prepare for the Changing of the Guard. The guards also train on their days off.

All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.
A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.

The Tomb Guard Identification Badge is one of the least awarded badges in the Army, second only to the Astronaut Badge. The 500th Tomb Guard Identification Badge was awarded in early 2002, and the total number of recipients is now about 525.

Since the sentinels are held to such a high standard, if they ever do anything that is deemed behavior unbecoming a Tomb Guard or brings dishonor upon the Tomb, their badges may be revoked, even after [the sentinels] have left active duty military service.

Q :Can you give an example of their dedication to duty ?
A :  When Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, the military members that were
assigned the duty of the Guard were given permission to suspend the assignment.

They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!"… Soaked to the skin, marching in the
pelting wind and rain, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was
the highest honor afforded to a serviceman.

Q :How long has the tomb been protected by the guard ?
A : The tomb has been guarded continuously, 24/7/365, since 1937

God Bless them !