Changing of the Guard, Tomb of The Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery May 30 2016 at 9:16am EDT Friday, May 27, 2016. It was 90 degrees that day, I was sweating in my short sleeve shirt. I can't imagine what these guards endure as they perform their duties. A few things about the guards. First, they are volunteers. It takes them NINE months to qualify as a guard. They tmust pass a 300 question written exam before they are allowed to stand guard. They stand guard 24 / 7 / 365, no matter what mother nature is doing. Usual shifts are 1 hour long, but in heat (like that Friday), or extreme cold, the shifts are lowered to 30 minutes. Still, their uniforms are made of a synthetic wool, and must be very hot to wear.
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