Since April 6, 1948 the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, regardless of weather. Millions of Americans annually visit the Memorial Amphitheater to watch these dedicated soldiers of a new generation, dutifully pace 21 steps across a black mat on the west face of the Tomb. It is a time honored ritual, executed with great precision and filled with American pride. Appropriately, the men who march 21 steps south, turn and march 21 steps north, and then repeat the process minute-by-minute for up to an hour at a time day or night, are the very best of the Army's best. Whether under a blazing sun, unsheltered from driving rains, or in freezing snow, they perform their duty with great precision and military bearing. Each of them is a volunteer from the 3rd Infantry, eligible to apply for duty as a sentinel ONLY after they have already been ceremonially qualified in The Old Guard. Each soldier among them is physically fit for the demanding responsibility and between 5'10 and 6'4 tall with a proportionate weight and build.

Since April 6, 1948 the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, regardless of weather. Millions of Americans annually visit the Memorial Amphitheater to watch these dedicated soldiers of a new generation, dutifully pace 21 steps across a black mat on the west face of the Tomb. It is a time honored ritual, executed with great precision and filled with American pride. Appropriately, the men who march 21 steps south, turn and march 21 steps north, and then repeat the process minute-by-minute for up to an hour at a time day or night, are the very best of the Army's best. Whether under a blazing sun, unsheltered from driving rains, or in freezing snow, they perform their duty with great precision and military bearing. Each of them is a volunteer from the 3rd Infantry, eligible to apply for duty as a sentinel ONLY after they have already been ceremonially qualified in The Old Guard. Each soldier among them is physically fit for the demanding responsibility and between 5'10 and 6'4 tall with a proportionate weight and build.