You can feel it before you understand it. The plaza is bright stone and open sky. The city sits in the distance. People drift into place with the gentle uncertainty of visitors who know they are approaching something important, but aren’t sure what the rules are. Then the air seems to tighten—quiet becomes shared. A soldier appears, and suddenly the space is no longer “a place you’re touring.” It becomes a place you’re participating in, simply by how you stand and how you breathe.
That’s the first lesson of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guard ritual: it is not built for spectacle. It is built for meaning—carefully measured, repeated on purpose, and protected by standards that are strict because the promise is strict. The Tomb is guarded around the clock, and the Changing of the Guard Arlington is a living expression of the idea that remembrance is not a single moment, but a continuous act. According to Arlington National Cemetery, Tomb Sentinels from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard,” stand watch 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, regardless of weather.
Why this ceremony exists at all
Many families arrive at Arlington carrying private grief. Some are visiting a loved one’s grave. Others are navigating the complicated emotions of military service—pride, loss, and the sharp edge of unanswered questions. The Tomb holds an enduring symbol for all of them: a place for names that could not be spoken because they were not known.
In its simplest form, the Tomb began with a decision to honor an unidentified American service member from World War I, interred in 1921. The meaning widened as the nation’s wars widened. According to the U.S. Army, continuous guard duty began in 1937, and since April 6, 1948, the Tomb has been guarded by soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard.”
The Tomb’s story also includes the complicated arc of identification—how “unknown” can change when science changes. Based on Arlington National Cemetery, the Vietnam Unknown, interred in 1984, was later exhumed and identified through DNA testing as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie in 1998, and the crypt was rededicated to honor missing service members.
The ceremony isn’t a performance—and the guards will tell you that
People sometimes whisper, “Is it always like this?” as if the precision is for the crowd. But the Tomb guards themselves have pushed back against the idea that they are “performers.” In a feature story, the U.S. Army emphasizes that the purpose is to pay respects, not put on a show, and it describes the formal spoken exchange that anchors each guard change.
That distinction matters because it helps visitors understand what they are witnessing. The stillness isn’t theatrical. It’s disciplined. The silence isn’t requested to create “atmosphere.” It’s requested because the ritual is a form of honor, and honor requires attention.
The “21” symbolism: steps, seconds, and a promise of highest honor
If you’ve heard about the repeated “21,” you’ve already touched the heart of the ritual. The number is not random. As stated by the Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb Guard marches 21 steps, pauses for 21 seconds, and repeats, because 21 symbolizes the highest military honor: the 21-gun salute.
The details become even more tangible when you realize that the symbolism is built into the body. The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) explains that the Sentinel crosses a 63-foot walkway in a measured cadence of exactly 21 steps, then faces the Tomb for 21 seconds before retracing the route. The same source also explains why the weapon is carried on the shoulder farthest from the Tomb, reflecting a protective stance toward the post.
For many visitors, the phrase 21 steps 21 seconds meaning becomes a doorway. It’s a way to understand that the ceremony is built from layers: honor made visible in motion, and motion repeated until it becomes its own kind of prayer.
What happens during the Changing of the Guard
When families describe what moved them most, they often mention the inspection. It feels like a small thing until you realize what it represents: an insistence that the person being honored deserves the best, every time, without shortcuts.
The Arlington National Cemetery states that the guard change begins with the relief commander appearing on the plaza, then requesting spectators to stand and remain silent. The new Sentinel signals readiness, a detailed inspection follows, and then the outgoing Sentinel meets the relief commander and incoming Sentinel at the center of the mat, where all three salute the Unknowns.
That sequence is not just choreography; it is accountability. In its feature on the Tomb, the U.S. Army notes that the exchange of orders is spoken in a set form—simple words passed between soldiers to confirm that the post and its responsibilities remain exactly as required.
Why the standards are so strict
From the outside, strictness can look like severity. From the inside, it often looks like care. These standards exist because the Tomb is a national grave and a public promise. According to Arlington National Cemetery, when disrespectful behavior increased in the 1920s, the Army responded by establishing regular guard duty, and that commitment eventually became a constant 24/7 watch.
It’s also strict because the work is demanding. Arlington National Cemetery explains that Sentinels volunteer for the assignment only after qualification, and that the selection and training process is rigorous. The same official resource also describes the Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge and the standards behind it, reinforcing how seriously the role is treated.
Some of that rigor is easier to understand when you see it recognized publicly. In a ceremony recap, the Arlington National Cemetery blog describes that Tomb Guards earn the badge through multiple testing phases demonstrating proficiency in Army and Tomb Guard knowledge.
How to observe respectfully: Arlington Tomb etiquette that helps everyone
If you’re planning a visit, it helps to think of yourself as entering someone else’s ceremony—because you might be. “Etiquette” here isn’t about perfection. It’s about not pulling attention away from the meaning. If you’re looking for a warm, practical primer on how to move through a national cemetery respectfully, Funeral.com’s guide can help: Visiting a National Cemetery: Etiquette, Photography Rules, and How to Honor the Space.
At the Tomb itself, Arlington National Cemetery asks visitors to stand and remain silent during the guard change, and the overall atmosphere calls for quiet voices and unobstructed pathways. The goal is simple: don’t become the story in a place meant for the Unknowns.
In practice, respectful observing usually looks like this:
- Arrive a little early so you can find a place without pushing through others at the last second.
- During the ceremony, stand if you’re able, keep your voice down, and follow the relief commander’s request for silence.
- Take photos only if allowed and without disrupting others; avoid flash or loud devices.
- If you’re with children, quietly explain the meaning beforehand so they can participate with confidence.
Tomb guard ceremony schedule and planning your visit
Visitors often worry they’ll miss it. The schedule is actually predictable, and that predictability is part of the point: honor that doesn’t depend on convenience. According to Arlington National Cemetery, the guard is changed every hour on the hour from October 1 through March 31, and every half hour from April 1 through September 30.
If you’re making a full Arlington day of it, build in time for walking—Arlington is large, and the grounds can be physically and emotionally tiring. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water, and consider pacing the day so the Tomb visit isn’t wedged into a rush. If you’re traveling with family members who are grieving, it can help to name the emotional weight out loud: “We might feel a lot today, and that’s okay.”
How this ritual connects to real families and real grief
It’s easy to think of the Tomb as “history,” but for many families it is also a mirror. An unknown service member represents the fear every military family carries: the possibility of not knowing, not being able to bring someone home, not having answers that let grief settle. Even when a loved one is buried with full honors and a name carved in stone, families can still carry a kind of “unknown” inside them—unasked questions, stories that ended too soon, parts of service they never fully understood.
That’s one reason the Tomb resonates far beyond the people interred there. It offers a place to stand with loss that doesn’t belong to one family alone. You can feel that sharedness in the crowd: veterans, tourists, parents, teenagers, people quietly holding hands. For a moment, everyone is asked to be still together, and that stillness becomes a kind of collective care.
Military honors at home: bringing meaning into funeral planning
For families arranging a veteran’s service, the Tomb can also clarify something practical: military rituals have structure for a reason. They give grief a container—actions to focus on when words fail. If you’re in the midst of funeral planning for a veteran, it can help to understand what honors are available and how they’re requested.
Funeral.com has a helpful overview of benefits and honors, including how families typically request military funeral honors through a funeral director or honors coordinator: Veterans Funeral Benefits and Military Honors: What Families Need to Know.
If you want a deeper, step-by-step guide for VA burial and cremation benefits, Funeral.com’s practical resource can help families feel grounded while coordinating next steps: Veteran Funeral Benefits: A Warm, Practical Guide.
Some families also want to understand the meaning behind specific elements they’ve seen at military services—like the folded flag and its presentation. Funeral.com explains what to expect in that moment, and how it’s typically handled: Flag Folding and Presentation at a Veteran’s Funeral. If you’re looking for broader guidance on flag symbolism and etiquette, Funeral.com also offers a clear overview: American Flag History and Meaning.
What the guard change means, after you leave
Most visitors don’t remember every detail. They remember the feeling: the steady cadence, the pause, the way the soldier’s movements seemed to insist that each second mattered. They remember realizing that the ritual is repeated not because it is easy, but because it is necessary.
In that sense, the guard change meaning isn’t only about what happens on the plaza. It’s about what you carry away. The ceremony teaches a gentle, difficult truth: love can be expressed through repetition. Respect can be expressed through care. And remembrance—real remembrance—often looks less like a grand speech and more like a quiet promise kept, again and again, even when no one is watching.
If you visit, let yourself be changed by the stillness. Stand, if you can. Breathe. Let the measured cadence of the Old Guard Tomb Sentinels remind you that dignity is not something we feel only in our hearts—it is something we can practice with our bodies, our voices, and our attention. In that way, every respectful visitor becomes part of the ritual, too.
