Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - During Hurricane Sandy ...

[LightningCrash]

I did reply, but I'm not sure if my answer was the answer to your question or not?
Perhaps you could make your position on your own question known? Do you believe they Should stick around?

I certainly wouldn't expect them to march outside at the tomb during a full-on hurricane, but the Memorial Amphitheater that they use would keep the post attended and hopefully would keep the guards safe.

Agree/disagree? Why?

 

[Lurker66]

I dont think anyone shouldexpect them to stand watch in a hurricane, but they do and have. I dont expect soldiers to fight and die to the last man either, but they do.

If your wondering why they dont seek shelter during a hurricane. Its not just a grave full of unknown bones, it represents all the cliches' we put it sig lines. Freedom isnt free ect. That grave represents the absolute ultimate sacrifice by a soldier that may never be identified.

As for the wives and taking care of theyre family during a hurricane. Im sure they would rather be with them. It makes no sense really, but neither does fighting to the last man, you could give up, maybe become a POW and live.

In the end, they should seek shelter but it defies any explination as to why they wont. It goes against human nature, its not logical and it goes against reason. They do it anyway.

 

[HMFIC]

I certainly wouldn't expect them to march outside at the tomb during a full-on hurricane, but the Memorial Amphitheater that they use would keep the post attended and hopefully would keep the guards safe.

Agree/disagree? Why?

Nor does anyone else expect that. The fact is though that these Soldiers already exceed anyone's expectations and in doing so bring honor to themselves and the Tomb and the missing and unidentified that it represents. They have not left their post since 1937 and it doesn't matter what you, I or anyone else thinks about it... they will continue to exceed anyone's expectations.

The intent of this thread was to report once again on the level of dedication that these Soldiers bring to a sacred place. To ask such unprompted questions is pretty pointless in my opinion and is probably viewed by many as an attempt to just troll the thread.


Straight from the Sentinel's mouths:

What is it like to guard in bad weather?

The guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (we call ourselves "Sentinels") are completely dedicated to their duty of guarding the Tomb. Because of that dedication, the weather does not bother them. In fact, they consider it an honor to stand their watch (we call it "walking the mat"), regardless of the weather. It gets cold, it gets hot - but the Sentinels never budge. And they never allow any feeling of cold or heat to be seen by anyone.


Do you guard in a blizzard or a bad thunderstorm?

YES, BUT the accomplishment of the mission and welfare of the Soldier is never put at risk. 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 – such as lightning, high winds, etc. This ensures that Sentinels can maintain the Tomb Guard responsibilities while ensuring soldier 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.

It was erroneously reported that during Hurricane Isabel, the Sentinels were ordered to abandon their posts for shelter and that they refused. No such order was ever given. All proper precautions were taken to ensure the safety of the Sentinels while accomplishing their mission. Risk assessments are constantly conducted by the Chain of Command during changing conditions to ensure that soldier welfare is maintained during mission accomplishment.

 

[HMFIC]

I'll add one more thing.

If the intent of your questions phrased as: "Should the guards stick around if there's a hurricane hitting the tomb?" means "Should they abandon their post", then my answer is as follows:

YES, I DO EXPECT these Sentinel's to guard their post as this is their mission. There are provisions for them to continue to fill that mission during inclement weather and should conditions become so heinous that staying on post is impossible, then I'm sure their command will figure something out.

The thing is though... I don't have to even have that expectation, because I'm sure that these Sentinel's would all die at the Tomb before abandoning their post. They are the best of the best. If you want to see something sobering, go check out the Society of the Honor Guard webpage https://tombguard.org/ and click over to the tomb guards page. Take note of all of the Sentinels who have been KIA since serving as guards.

 

[HMFIC]

 

[Glocktogo]

If you read the rest of the thread, it appears that they both have shelter and use it.

If you never question something and can't even explain it, it means you don't understand it.

No, it means exactly what I said it means. If you infer that it means anything else, it means you have an even deeper level of incomprehension. If you've never put your life on the line for something larger than yourself or your immediate concerns, you may never understand. Please come back and respond when you've done so!