--- title: "Soldiers kept watch through a rare blizzard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" description: "Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier braved a rare blizzard to keep watch at Arlington National Cemetery" date: "2022-01-04" modified: "2022-01-04" authors: - name: "Max Hauptman" job_title: "Breaking News Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/max-hauptman/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-guards-blizzard-arlington-national-cemetery/" categories: - "Army" - "Around the World" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "United States" --- # Soldiers kept watch through a rare blizzard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ![arlington tomb guards snow]() *A tomb guard from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) walks the mat during a snow storm at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Jan. 3, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery / released)* Monday morning saw the Washington, D.C. area receiving a rare blanketing of snow, ranging from 5 to 10 inches in some locations. For the sentinels who stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, that meant some less than stellar duty conditions. Photographs showed the guard detail of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, marching amid the heavy snowfall in front of the Tomb, the final resting place for unknown service members killed during World War I, World War II, and the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. ![]() *(U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery)* Dedicated on Nov. 11, 1921 by President Warren G. Harding, the Tomb was [established]() in the aftermath of World War I to honor American soldiers who, as the Tomb’s inscription reads, remain “known but to God.” Guards were first placed at the Tomb during the day five years later, in 1926, “after one too many tourists had used the grave as a picnic table,” [according]() to an Army news release. In 1937, guarding the tomb became an around-the-clock duty, and in 1948 the Army designated the Old Guard as the ceremonial unit tasked with performing said duty. Maintaining the vigil in any and all conditions is part and parcel of the rigorous training that the Tomb guards undergo before they assume their duty as a sentinel. For six to nine months, guards complete a training regimen that includes marching, uniform preparation and the study of military history. Guards often train for their ceremonial duties in the middle of the night, when the Tomb is closed to visitors. ![]() *(U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery)* “You do training during the day…manual, uniform, uniform classes. And then at night, you get your hours of training in,” Staff Sgt. Kevin Gilliam [said]() in a 2010 Army news release. “The guards who are posted at night aren’t a ceremonial guard. They’re in \[Army Combat Uniform\]. So they’re working on walking the mat, perfecting their lines, angles. We also do training as a whole. The whole squad will go out at night and train the guard changes and things like that.” Bad weather is often to be expected during a shift. As the creed of the Tomb guards says, they are expected to march and perform their duties [through]() “the discomfort of the elements.” That applies even during snowstorms and other extreme weather conditions. ![]() *Snow falls in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Jan. 3, 2022. This was the first snow of the year. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery / released)* In the case of, say, a hurricane, the Tomb guards may have some brief respite. “The Tomb Guards have contingencies that are ready to be executed if the weather conditions ever place the soldiers at risk of injury or death (i.e. lightning, high winds, etc),” [reads]() the guards’ contingency plan for extreme weather conditions. “This ensures that sentinels can continue the mission while ensuring safety. It is the responsibility of the chain of command from the sergeant of the guard to the regimental commander to ensure mission accomplishment and soldier welfare at all times.” In 2011, when Hurricane Irene made landfall near the Chesapeake Bay, a spokesman for the Old Guard [told]() The Daily Beast that, if necessary, the guards would move to a small enclosure nearby. They would, however, always remain within sight of the Tomb itself. ![]() *A tomb guard from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) walks the mat during a snow storm at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Jan. 3, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery)* Service members in ceremonial roles have a long history of braving the elements and [maintaining]() their bearing through all manner of disturbances, [like Marine sentries at the White House](), who have a track record of enduring unexpected conditions, all while maintaining their composure. Earlier this year, a group of Marine Corps body bearers serving on a funeral detail at Arlington National Cemetery [waded]() into knee-deep flood waters in their Dress Blue uniforms to help a couple trapped in a stalled out car. Fortunately for the Tomb guards, hurricane season is not scheduled to begin for another six months. ## Read more on Task & Purpose - [**The Pentagon’s 2021 report card**]()**: Cs, a couple Fs, and an incomplete** - **The Army showed the Navy how not to mismanage** [**the contaminated water crisis in Hawaii**]() - **We salute the Marine who** [**kicked in a windshield barefoot**]() **to save a man after a car crash** - **The legend of ‘wall-to-wall counseling,’ the infamous** [**military regulation that never existed**]() - **Tell us your good, bad, and horribly painful stories about** [**military dental procedures**]() **Want to write for Task & Purpose?** [**Click here**]()**. Or check out the latest stories on** [**our homepage.**]() ## Author Max Hauptman is a former breaking news reporter at Task & Purpose. He previously worked at The Washington Post as a Military Veterans in Journalism Fellow, as well as covering local news in New England. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Instagram]()