Hurricane Irene vs. The Tomb Sentinels

Like the rest of the country, I've been watching the media's coverage of Hurricane Irene.  For me, the most enduring image from the footage is the one above.  These soldiers, known as Tomb Guards, the Tomb Sentinels, Guards of the Unknown Solder, or The Old Guard, represent to me the best that our military has to offer.  No matter the weather, no matter the date, no matter the time, these guys have guarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every second since April 6, 1948, and the tomb itself has been under constant guard since the mid 1930's.

Amazing.

I've always been fascinated by this unit of our military and the years of dediction they have to this one craft, this singular duty; Hurricane Irene gave me the opportunity to blog and brag on them.  Google them and you will find a lengthy, storied history of this unit.  The requirements to join this elite honor guard unit are stiff and demanding.  The honor they bestow is personal.  The dedication they have to this duty is special and lasting.

The changing of the guard is pageantry done right, and they ENSURE each guard is properly squared away prior to taking guard:

And the entire ceremony itself is crisp and perfect:

One thing is for sure, they mean it when they request silence, and to remain behind the barriers:

To that last video, I'll add this:  it is a national park and these guys are active military, my guess is that gives them detention and arrest powers; best not to test if that's fact or not.  I'll also add this:  I'd hate to be that guy that had to do the about-face on the lawn.

One thing is for sure, these guys take this duty very seriously.  From the 5 hour prep of their uniforms and weapons, to the thousands of hours of practice and drill, to their physical standards, to the way they carry themselves in public, this is a 100% dedication like no other.

And even Hurricane Irene could not prevent these guards from their duty.  Again, amazing.

I have always held an admiration for our military and their families; I have an even more enduring love for guys like this that sacrifice all they have and all they are for their fallen bretheren.  These guys are special, and the day we can take our kids to D.C. and show them this unit and their changing of the guard is a day I am anxious for.

Read more about them here, it is worth the visit:  http://www.tombguard.org/