# Query re the ceremony at Arlington's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/query-re-the-ceremony-at-arlingtons-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/795820>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 8, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/query-re-the-ceremony-at-arlingtons-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/795820 "2017-09-08T16:22:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/query-re-the-ceremony-at-arlingtons-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/795820/1 "2017-09-08T16:22:09Z")

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At the exhibition by the Tomb, it’s stated that the guard wears no insignia of name or rank so as not to outrank the Unknown Soldier. But at the change of the guard, the NCO in charge announced himself by rank and name. Why the difference?

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**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:** [September 8, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/query-re-the-ceremony-at-arlingtons-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/795820/2 "2017-09-08T16:32:14Z")

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The NCO isn’t guarding the Tomb.

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/query-re-the-ceremony-at-arlingtons-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/795820/3 "2017-09-08T16:39:28Z")

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> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> The NCO isn’t guarding the Tomb.

But he’s part of the Guard.

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**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:** [September 8, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/query-re-the-ceremony-at-arlingtons-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/795820/4 "2017-09-08T16:46:00Z")

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> [@Quartz](#):
>
> But he’s part of the Guard.

He’s not on duty _as_ a Guard. He’s conducting the Change.