Outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier this morning in the snow #anc #Arlington⠀ #ArlingtonMedia⠀ #ArlingtonCemetery⠀ #ArlingtonNationalCemetery⠀ #honorthem

Post author:Clifford Crittenden
Post published:January 14, 2019
Post category:Uncategorized

[igp-video src=”” poster=”https://www.arlington.media/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/outside-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-this-morning-in-the-snow-anc-arlington⠀-arlingtonmedia⠀-1-1.jpg” size=”large”]

The ceremonial Changing of the Guard takes place 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. It has taken place without interruption since 1937. Neither whether nor acts of terrorism have prevented it from taking place. Before the Changing of the Guard, you will see a lone sentinel, sharply dressed in formal Army attire. At a certain point, the Sentinel will take 21 steps across the mat, past the Tomb. Once he reaches the other end, he will click his heels, make a sharp 90-degree right turn to the east (again, in the direction of the Tomb), click his heels, and then wait another 21 seconds before repeating the process, only this time in the other direction. The Changing of the Guard relief commander will come out, seemingly from nowhere, and will approach and salute the Tomb. He or she will turn to the crowd and ask you to rise and remain silent during the ceremony, all the while, the posted sentinel will continue with his routine. As the Relief Commander is speaking, the relief sentinel will appear. The commander will walk over to the relief sentinel (this is why we suggest positioning yourself on the right side of the grandstand). The commander will conduct a full inspection of the new sentinel, inspecting the weapon and the sentinel himself. This is a real inspection and the relief sentinel can be sent away, leaving the current sentinel in place till the next scheduled Changing of the Guard. If approved, both the relief commander and relief sentinel will walk to the middle to meet with the posted sentinel, all the while keeping in step with each other. At this point, the relief commander will complete the ceremony by having the posted sentinel step off of the mat and face the relief sentinel. Both sentinels will acknowledge each other with orders. All three will salute the Tomb. Then the relief sentinel will step onto the mat and take over where the now relieved sentinel left off. Both the relief commander and the relieved sentinel will walk off (all amazingly in step with each other) and exit off the right, which concludes the ceremony.

March 9, 2022

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¹ DEPENDENT SERVICES
When a spouse or other dependent of a current or former member of the Armed Forces is buried at Arlington, the military service in which the primary party served will provide:

A chaplain
A casket team (body bearers / pall bearers)

No other military funeral honors will be rendered unless the spouse also served in the military.

² STANDARD HONORS SERVICES
Enlisted service members, WO-1 through CW-3, and O-1 through O-3, interred/inurned at Arlington National Cemetery will receive honors provided by the decedent’s branch of service. These honors include:

A chaplain
A casket team (body bearers / pall bearers)
A firing party
A bugler

³ FULL HONORS SERVICES
In addition to the standard military funeral honors, some Commissioned and Warrant officers and senior non-Commissioned Officer with a pay grade of E-9, CW-4 and CW-5, and O-4 and above:

ARMY: Sergeant Major (SGM), Command Sergeant Major (CSM), Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA),
NAVY & COAST GUARD: Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO), Fleet/Command Master Chief Petty Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), or Coast Guard (MCPOCG),
MARINES: Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt), Sergeant Major (SgtMaj), Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SgtMajMC),
AIR FORCE: Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt), First Sergeant, Command Chief Master Sergeant, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF),

are eligible for full military funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery including:

A chaplain
A casket team (body bearers / pall bearers)
A firing party
A bugler
A military band
An escort platoon (size varies according to the rank of the deceased)

Additionally, those eligible for full military funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery may use the caisson (UNAVAILABLE until Spring 2025), if available. Officers in the rank of colonel and above in the Army and the Marine Corps may be provided a caparisoned (riderless) horse, if available. General/flag officers may receive a cannon salute (17 guns for a four-star general, 15 for a three-star, 13 for a two-star, 11 for a one-star), if available.