Also called: The Old Guard (3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment), Sentinel, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Elite ceremonial soldier who guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington, 24 hours a day, every day.
Sentinels walk exactly 21 steps, pause 21 seconds, and repeat, in any weather, with perfectly pressed uniforms they prepare for hours. The training is so strict that only about 20% of volunteers earn the badge. Fewer than 700 people have ever earned it.
Regular military compensation (RMC = base pay + housing and food allowances + their tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-6 ranks, 2026 estimate. Cash in hand is lower early on because junior troops often live in free barracks and eat in dining halls. Enlistment bonuses can add thousands.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. Join the Army as infantry or MP, be assigned to the Old Guard, then pass months of sentinel training and testing. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: History, Criminal Justice.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk for 10 years. Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a human honor by design.
Classes: PE / fitness, US history.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.