The soldiers who
stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are hand picked and
rigorously trained. They have come from every state in the union, every
walk of life. There are men and women. For some this is their first unit
in the Army, others are veterans of many years. Over the years there have been Regular
Army and Draftees.
The duty is not for everyone. Over 80% of the
soldiers who tryout for this duty do not make it.
Each soldier
must have strong military bearing, discipline, stamina and present an
outstanding soldierly appearance. Each Sentinel must be able to
flawlessly perform seven different types of walks, honors and ceremonies.
They must retain vast amounts of knowledge concerning the Tomb,
Arlington National Cemetery, the United States Army and their unit.
On March
25, 1926 orders were sent down directing the formation of an armed
military guard at the Tomb, during daylight hours only. Too many visitors
to the cemetery were using the original crypt as a picnic table.
On July
2, 1937, the guard was increased in size, and ordered to begin 24 hour
shifts. Both of these documents
are the foundation of the Guards
existing orders and mission.
The mission of
the Guard of Honor, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is as follows:
- Responsible for maintaining the highest standards and traditions
of the United States Army and this Nation while keeping a constant
vigil at this national shrine.
-
Prevent any desecration or disrespect directed toward the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier.
One of the first reactions of visitors at the Tomb, is
to comment on how tall the soldiers are. While you might not notice the
difference in height, a Tomb Guard can tell what Relief is working . . .
. just based on their height.
There are three Relief's assigned to the Tomb Guard
Platoon, each consisting of 9 enlisted soldiers (they use the same
break-down as a Light Infantry Squad). The heights are equal on each
Relief, with the tallest assigned to the 1st Relief.
| 1st Relief |
6'2" to 6'4" |
| 2nd Relief |
6' to 6'2" |
| 3rd Relief |
5'11" to 6' |
Each Relief is commanded by a Staff Sergeant (E-6) and
has two "Teams", each consisting of an Assistant Relief
Commander (E-5) and 4 Sentinels (E-4 and below), for a total of 9
soldiers per Relief. The Headquarter (HQ) Relief consists of the
Sergeant of the Guard, Assistant Sergeant of the Guard, the Primary
Trainer and a Driver.
If you have ever watched the Changing of the Guard, you
will have noticed that not all Guards do the same thing. The Tomb is
completely run by Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO). There are six
different levels of responsibility at the Tomb:
Sentinel:
This soldier has the hardest job - to stand watch at the
Tomb. These soldiers typically have the rank of Private First Class
(PFC) through Specialist (SPC) and the average age is 22.
Assistant Relief Commander (ARC):
An NCO with the rank of Corporal (CPL) or Sergeant (SGT), this is the
Relief Commander's right hand. Each Relief Commander has two ARC
assigned. The average age for an ARC is 24.
Relief Commander (RC):
An NCO with the Rank of Staff Sergeant (SSG). The RC has the greatest
responsibility on a day-to-day basis. The RC is not only responsible for
conducting the Changing of the Guard, but also for the welfare and morale of
the Relief as a whole. In the absence of the Sergeant of the Guard, the RC is
responsible for everything that happens at the Tomb. The RC typically
has served in two different units in the Army, and the average age is
27.
Assistant Sergeant of the Guard (ASOG):
The ASOG is typically the senior Staff Sergeant (SSG) in the
Platoon. The ASOG has the primary duty of conducting the daily
administrative duties, to include oversight of the initial training
phase for new Sentinels. The ASOG assumes the duties and
responsibilities of the Sergeant of the Guard in his absence.
Sergeant of the Guard (SOG):
The buck stops here! The SOG is the Platoon Sergeant for the Tomb Guards
, and holds the rank of Sergeant First Class (SFC). The primary duties
and responsibilities of the SOG include Presidential Wreath Ceremonies,
as well as the overall responsibility for the conduct and actions of the
Platoon. The SOG has served in many different leadership positions in
the Army, and typically has been a Platoon Sergeant once before. The SOG
is the most experienced NCO in the Platoon, and has the added
responsibility of mentoring and developing the junior NCO's. The average
age of the SOG is 30.
Platoon Leader (PL):
The PL had varying duties through out the short time they were assigned
to the Tomb. On top of the many different duties they still performed at
the Company levels (such as Burial duties), the primary job was to
oversee the daily functions of the Tomb, much like the SOG. Many times
the PL would mingle with the crowd in civilian attire, and find out the
reaction of the visitors to the performance of the Guards. They also had
the sad, and most emotional, duty of revoking the Tomb Guard Badge
and removal of the soldier from the post. The average age of the PL was
25, with the rank of First Lieutenant (1LT).
