Brothers to guard Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers

| February 21, 2010

The Old Guard
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Brisiel, left, takes part in a Tomb Badge Ceremony with his brother, U.S. Army Spc. Mathew Brisiel, right, as their mother Cathy Brisiel looks on, Friday, Feb. 19, 2010, at Fort Myer in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

For the first time in history, two brothers are in the platoon of 27 soldiers whose responsibility to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

Army Spc. Mathew Brisiel of Spring, Texas, on Friday followed his brother, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Brisiel, when he became the 578th soldier awarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge since 1958.

The training for that particular job wasn’t just physical;

Most striking, though, was what it came to mean for him when his trainers would ask if he “loved the unknown soldiers.”

“In my head, I was thinking, love the unknowns? That’s a little strong, that’s a little much,” Mathew Brisiel said.

But something changed over eight months of training.

“When I’m standing out on the plaza and I’m walking and I see an elderly woman sitting there by herself crying … it sends chills up your body,” he said. “You realize how awesome it is. … You represent every soldier that gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

It wasn’t just the two brothers who recognized the importance of the moment;

Their mother, Cathy Brisiel, said her sons have joined a tradition she knew as a child. She grew up in Washington, and her grandfather is buried at Arlington.

“I wish my late husband had been present to witness such an accomplishment for his boys,” she said. “I thought my heart would pop out of my chest this morning when I saw my boys in their uniforms.”

If you’ve never seen the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, here’s a video I took of the changing of the sentinels on Memorial Day, 2008;

Category: Military issues

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fm21-76

I guess this was just after the wreath laying as the stand was still up. I knew a few Tomb Guards while stationed there but never met SSG Brisiel, his brother may have arrived after I left. One of the Sentinels went through Recruiting school with me and he has gone on to be very successful in New England somewhere. We bonded some during the school as we were the only two Old Guard guys there. His Tomb Badge may very well have been the only one on Fort Jackson at the time, as it is the second least awarded badge the Army has to offer. I considered volunteering when I first got there, but career progression took precedence and I’d seen too many other combat vets (especially NCOs) drop from the program due to its unique qualities. There was one guy (was incidentally also got picked up for recruiting) who had earned both his Tomb Badge and his SecDef Badge by the time he was a Specialist. The TotUS Sentinels are just one small bit of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment. Regardless of interservice rivalries the Army plays a hand in nearly every Full Honors funeral in the Cemetery, as our Caisson Platoon transports the casket from the chapel or starting point (for a transfer) to the curbside near the grave site. The Continental Color Guard are one of the premier color guards in the world, paying homage to the Army’s heritage. The US Army Drill Team is part of the Regiment, as is the only company in the US military patterned after George Washington’s original bodyguard unit, the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard (my old unit). The Fife and Drum Corps are one of the premier military bands and share Fort Myer with The US Army Band (Pershing’s Own), though the latter are not part of the Regiment. Anyway, congratulations to the Brisiels; they are now both part of the elite few who have earned the distinction of a permanent award of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge. Many more have worn it temporarily but have failed to meet… Read more »

Frankly Opinionated

What a great Family Honor! God Bless America!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nuf Sed

Margaret

The facts about the tomb of the unknown soldier?! I got this message thru e-mail and wondered how much of it was true
there was a lot more to it but i find that part is true..but i wonder about this part.

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be

between 5′ 10′ and 6′ 2′ tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.’ Other

requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the

tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on

or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the

rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in

any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on

their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only

400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their

lives or give up the wreath pin.

The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat

and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the

top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.

There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty

in front of a full-length mirror.

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor

watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid

to rest in Arlington National Cemetery .. A guard must memorize who they are

and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe

E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most

decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for

guard duty.

fm2176

Urban legend; the Sentinels I knew were some of the harder partying Soldiers I’ve met. The only true parts are those about the uniform, it takes meticulous attention to detail to set up the uniform of any Old Guard Soldier, particularly those at the Tomb.

brittanie

i need you to anwser a question how long does it take a gaurd for the unknown tomb to get his uniform on?

Jacobite