# Is guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier a sought-after posting or something most want to avoid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2020, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464 "2020-02-25T01:11:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464/121 "2020-03-06T19:58:46Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Take the time to watch [this video of the changing of the guard.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgbPHm_sXfg) The relief commander - the soldier who oversees the changing of the guard - definitely is armed with a (holstered) pistol. However, the sentinels who are out there doing the hour-long marches are clearly not armed with pistols. The video is dated Apr 4, 2108. The linked articles are dated Feb 29, 2019 and Nov 5, 2018 respectively. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464/122 "2020-03-06T20:29:55Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The video is dated Apr 4, 2108. The linked articles are dated Feb 29, 2019 and Nov 5, 2018 respectively. The articles are misleading. The mat walking tomb guards do not carry pistols. The commander of the relief, (who _is_ a tomb guard, but doesn’t pace back and forth with a rifle), carries a pistol. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464/123 "2020-03-06T20:35:21Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The video is dated Apr 4, 2108. The linked articles are dated Feb 29, 2019 and Nov 5, 2018 respectively. OK, how about this one: uploaded yesterday, and claimed to have been recorded on November 15th (presumably 2019). Relief commander carries a pistol, sentinels do not. or this one: Uploaded two days ago, and claimed to have been recorded last November 6. Relief commander carries a pistol, sentinels do not. The article dated 2/29/2019 speaks of the pistols being carried by the sentinels, but it only has pictures of the relief commander carrying the described pistol - not the sentinel(s). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2020, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464/124 "2020-03-07T01:42:54Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Take the time to watch [this video of the changing of the guard.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgbPHm_sXfg) The relief commander - the soldier who oversees the changing of the guard - definitely is armed with a (holstered) pistol. However, the sentinels who are out there doing the hour-long marches are clearly not armed with pistols. Fair enough but it does show that, if the military was of a mind to, they could certainly add a pistol to the marching guards’ uniforms that would comport with their insane level of perfection for their uniforms. If you want to say there is no point or see no reason why and so on that is a different discussion but clearly they can do it because they already do it. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464/125 "2020-03-07T02:44:35Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Fair enough but it does show that, if the military was of a mind to, they could certainly add a pistol to the marching guards’ uniforms that would comport with their insane level of perfection for their uniforms. > > If you want to say there is no point or see no reason why and so on that is a different discussion but clearly they can do it because they already do it. In that video, the commander of the relief is 1) a sergeant (a Non-Commissioned Officer) and 2) the leader of the unit. The other two guards shown are 1) junior enlisted Soldiers and 2) in an infantry unit. Traditionally, in an infantry unit, leaders (officers and NCOs) would be armed with only a sidearm, and junior enlisted would be armed only with a rifle. In practice, that’s not necessarily how actual Soldiers in battle would be equipped, but for the purposes of ceremonial guards, having the sergeant who is the commander of the relief armed with a only a side-arm while the other guards are armed only with rifles _is_ an element of the insane level of perfection for their uniforms. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464/126 "2020-03-07T03:18:32Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > In that video, the commander of the relief is 1) a sergeant (a Non-Commissioned Officer) and 2) the leader of the unit. The other two guards shown are 1) junior enlisted Soldiers and 2) in an infantry unit. Traditionally, in an infantry unit, leaders (officers and NCOs) would be armed with only a sidearm, and junior enlisted would be armed only with a rifle. In practice, that’s not necessarily how actual Soldiers in battle would be equipped, but for the purposes of ceremonial guards, having the sergeant who is the commander of the relief armed with a only a side-arm while the other guards are armed only with rifles _is_ an element of the insane level of perfection for their uniforms. Interesting. When not inspecting the troops where does the sergeant hang out? Is he nearby or somewhere further away? ---
**Author:** ![Vesicant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/43a26b/32.png) [@Vesicant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vesicant)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2020, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464/127 "2020-03-07T03:31:06Z")
Geez, I wish now that I’d never brought up the pistols. As I said in my previous post, I was wrong about sentinels carrying pistols. To try to get this thread back on track, there are any number of special duty stations that have prestige associated with them, but that prestige comes because there’s always an associated challenge. The very difficulty of being accepted for, and doing well in, the position is part of the attraction for a certain kind of person. In terms of ceremonial perfection, the Marine guards at the White House might be considered as similar to the Tomb sentinels. Then there is the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon (if you’re in DC during the summer, you should go to see the Friday Evening Parades at the Marine Barracks, or the Sunset Parades at the Iwo Jima Memorial.) Think about Delta, SEALs, forward air controllers, rescue swimmers, smoke jumpers… In my old unit, the (mumble), you couldn’t even apply; you had to be specially selected. We were proud not just about being selected, but because we knew we were doing a tough – if not impossible – job better than anyone else could. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2020, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464/128 "2020-03-07T03:36:34Z")
> [@Vesicant](#): > > Geez, I wish now that I’d never brought up the pistols. As I said in my previous post, I was wrong about sentinels carrying pistols. To try to get this thread back on track, there are any number of special duty stations that have prestige associated with them, but that prestige comes because there’s always an associated challenge. The very difficulty of being accepted for, and doing well in, the position is part of the attraction for a certain kind of person. In terms of ceremonial perfection, the Marine guards at the White House might be considered as similar to the Tomb sentinels. Then there is the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon (if you’re in DC during the summer, you should go to see the Friday Evening Parades at the Marine Barracks, or the Sunset Parades at the Iwo Jima Memorial.) Think about Delta, SEALs, forward air controllers, rescue swimmers, smoke jumpers… In my old unit, the (mumble), you couldn’t even apply; you had to be specially selected. We were proud not just about being selected, but because we knew we were doing a tough – if not impossible – job better than anyone else could. Non-sequitur but thanks and not sure why you think you are at fault. Do you think you are the only person who would have found that detail? Remember where you are. ---
**Author:** ![Vesicant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/43a26b/32.png) [@Vesicant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vesicant)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2020, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464/129 "2020-03-07T04:28:40Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Non-sequitur but thanks and not sure why you think you are at fault. Do you think you are the only person who would have found that detail? > > Remember where you are. The OP was about why someone would want to be a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, not about what kind of firearms they carry. I was trying to explain how Tomb guard was a particular instance of a wider phenomenon (volunteering for unusual duty) in the military. If I didn’t explain it very well, ask this guy. [100-Year-Old Sentinel Returns to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier](https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Features/story/Article/1999349/100-year-old-sentinel-returns-to-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/) ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2020, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464/130 "2020-03-07T09:06:09Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Interesting. > > When not inspecting the troops where does the sergeant hang out? Is he nearby or somewhere further away? Nearby, underground. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-guarding-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-a-sought-after-posting-or-something-most-want-to-avoid/848464.md?page=6)