March 2, 2021 – Centennial Tidbit #18 Released
7 months ago
The Centennial Committee is happy to release #18 of our tidbits leading up to #TUS100. This two-part episode returns to the USS Olympia and her operational history after the Battle of Manila Bay.
View the tidbit HERE
Latest News
October 18, 2021 - Honoring the Battlefields of France – and the Centennial of America's Unknown Soldier
Posted October 19, 2021Here is an article written by Denise Doring VanBuren, President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution Honoring the Battlefields of France and the Centennial of Americas Unknown Soldier...
October 11, 2021 - TUS100 Update
Posted October 11, 2021 in Special ReportNew update with information on events in France and the US, along with the US Senate Resolution. Don't forget to check out the list of...
October 8, 2021 – TUS100 Update
Posted October 9, 2021 in CentennialPlease see the latest UPDATE and EVENT...
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Did you know?
How many Sentinels have been female?
There have been over 680 tomb guards awarded the badge since 1958 when we started counting. There are hundreds more from the year 1926 when the Army started guarding the Tomb. The 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard) is the unit that has been given the duty of guarding the Tomb. It was given this sacred duty in 1948. The Old Guard was -- and still is -- considered a combat unit. As an Infantry unit, females were not permitted in the ranks for many years. It wasn't until 1994 that females were permitted to volunteer to become a Sentinel when the 289th Military Police Company was attached to the Old Guard. The MP branch is a combat support unit and includes females.
In 1996, SGT Heather Johnson became the first female to earn the Tomb Guard Identification Badge. She volunteered for duty in June 1995 and earned her badge in 1996. However, SGT Johnson was not the only female Sentinel. Since then, there have been a total of five female Sentinels awarded the Tomb Guard Identification Badge:
SGT Danyell Wilson earned
her badge in 1997
SSG Tonya Bell received hers in 1998
SGT Ruth
Hanks earned her badge in June 2015
SFC Chelsea Porterfield earned her badge in 2021
Several other units have since been attached to the Old Guard -- food service, transportation, medics, etc. -- so now females have an ever greater opportunity to become a Sentinel. Females must meet the same requirements as the male soldiers to be eligible to volunteer at the Tomb. the only difference is that females have a minimum height of 5'8" -- which is the same standard to be a member of the Old Guard.
