Unknown Soldier

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why ?

21 steps
It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary

How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why ?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

Why are his gloves wet ?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and if not, why not ?

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb.
After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder

How often are the guards changed ?

Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

What are the physical traits of the guard limited to ?

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"

Other requirements of the Guard:

They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb,
live in a barracks under the tomb,
and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives

They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives
and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way
After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb
There are only 400 presently worn
The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin

The shoes are specially 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

There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform
Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV
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
Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer}
and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy,
{the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington , DC ,
our US Senate / House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm

On the ABC evening news,
it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane,
the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
were given permission to suspend the assignment

They respectfully declined the offer,
'No way, Sir !'
Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm,
they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment,
it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson

The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24 / 7, since 1930