To become a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Army soldiers must endure a six-to-nine-month training program that 90% of trainees do not complete.
The sentinels say they’re constantly chasing a standard of perfection. No one feels that more than 19-year-old Pvt. Joshua Beckman, a tomb guard training to be a sentinel. We met Beckman as he rigorously prepared for the uniform inspection test, one of five tests the trainees must pass to attain the coveted Tomb Guard Identification Badge. With only 735 issued since 1958, it’s the second-rarest badge awarded by the Army behind the Army Astronaut Badge.
Chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan spent two days with the soldiers who guard the Tomb to find out what it takes to join the elite unit that prides itself on perfection.