The Sentinel

There are average people, exceptional people, and then there are sentinels; those that serve with high honor, carried through their years as they maintain this distinction for a lifetime. At The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, sentinel badges remain displayed only to be stricken if this code of honor is broken. They are sentinels.

After 46 months at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, 956 walks and 120 guard changes, Sgt. Kyle Williams, a 2015 Owego Free Academy graduate, executed his last walk during a Red Rose Ceremony held on March 30, and at the tomb, nestled above Arlington National Ceremony.

Flanked by his family, Becky Williams and Jim Woloch, and as an extended part of the ceremony, Kyle Williams made his final walk on the carpet and laid roses in front of the Tomb and on three marble slabs that identify the crypts of the soldiers from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

This journey for Williams began after graduation from High School, and after attendance for a period of time at SUNY Oswego, where he studied Geology. And although he has great interest in the subject, and is planning on finishing his degree in Geology, Williams always had a desire to join the military, specifically the United States Army.

Williams joined in 2019, and upon graduation from basic training was sent to the 3rd U.S. Infantry, traditionally known as “The Old Guard.”

The U.S. Army regiment is entrusted with tending to and guarding not just the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but the coordination and execution of any and all burials that take place in Arlington National Cemetery.

Since 1937, the U.S. Army has stood watch at the tomb. This watch is provided around the clock with tomb guards assigned three rotations, based on their height; rotations that last about 24 hours, and with a formal changing ceremony happening every 30 to 60 minutes.

Serving with the utmost honor, each element of the tomb guard’s routine has meaning. The Guard marches 21 steps down the black mat behind the Tomb, turns and faces east for 21 seconds, turns and faces north for 21 seconds, and then takes 21 steps down the mat. The 21 steps signify the highest military honor, a 21-gun salute.

This sacred call to become a tomb sentinel, according to the Cemetery’s site, is a responsibility that is taken with the utmost grace.

A Sentinel’s Journey

To become a full-fledged sentinel, however, is a rigorous journey, and one that doesn’t end with the guarding of the tomb; it’s an honor carried and bestowed throughout a lifetime.

For the training, there is an early morning inspection of living quarters, and prospects are evaluated. Uniforms are inspected to ensure that the garment is immaculate down to the prescribed distances between medals and other parts of the uniform jacket.

The regiment’s motto, it can be said, is taken from the Sentinel’s Creed: “My standard will remain perfection.”

According to Williams, the walk is manageable in all weather, but when it is wet and cool it gets tricky because of ice.

He did reiterate, however, a quote from an earlier Washington Post article on the same subject that guarding the tomb during the evening hours is the best time of duty.

“It’s very peaceful – beautiful and quiet,” Williams said. “It’s a time to collect your thoughts … think about where you are and why it’s important.”

As for guarding the sacred contents of the tomb, and what it symbolizes, Williams admitted that every now and then it feels like a job, but that feeling only lasts for one second and you get drawn back to how important this is.

“It’s an incredible feeling; it’s about giving presence to not only those who gave their lives, but offering a voice to the deceased and the family members that remain hopeful that their loved ones are encased in the tomb.”

The Tomb itself was constructed in 1931 out of seven large marble panels, collectively weighing close to 80 tons. On the Tomb are three figures that represent Peace, Victory, and Valor. On the back is an inscription, “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”

Every day, Williams noted, and in addition to the tourists that arrive, school groups bring wreaths to the tomb for presentation. He added that they average about 12 wreath presentations each day, and an accompanying ceremony.

“Twelve is a full schedule, especially during the warmer months,” Williams added.

Guarding Sacred Ground

But to guard these sacred grounds, the training is known to be rigorous, with tomb guards requiring a full understanding of Arlington Cemetery and grave locations, and a strict discipline and intensive testing to receive this highest honor, the Tomb Guard Identification Badge, earning the title “sentinel.”

According to reports out of Arlington, the silver badge is one of the army’s most rare; fewer than 700 have been awarded it since 1958.

Kyle Williams is now among the ranks of the sentinels, with his badge placed on the Wall of Badges within the quarters at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an honor that comes with a lifetime of distinction.

The commitment carries beyond the tomb guard duties; the Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge can be revoked if a Soldier disgraces him or herself in a manner that brings dishonor on the Tomb. This action can happen even after the Soldier completes his or her tour as a member of the Honor Guard.

While observing the badges on the wall last week there were several engraved with the word “Revoked,” where the name used to be. This, according to the sentinels, is what happens when you disgrace the honor.

What’s Next?

And with his final walk complete, we asked the same question the Washington Post asked when Williams made a decision to enter the “Old Guard”, “What’s next?”

After a brief leave from duty, Williams will head to Fort Myer in Washington, D.C. and will serve as an instructor for those entering the “Old Guard” with hopes of earning the distinction of sentinel.

To learn more about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, visit https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Monuments-and-Memorials/Tomb-of-the-Unknown-Soldier.

To view photos from the March 30 ceremony, you can watch a slideshow of photos at https://youtu.be/svRugtsKTdE.