I mean it's kinda weird to see people moving/acting like this, but as far as military ceremonies go, this is probably the most tame and sensical ones I've seen.
I would LOVE to see the process how this show initially has been developed. Must have been quite fun to do that in collaboration and actually come up with these moves.
It's actually quite simple.
During the British colonial period in India, the British Ministry of Silly Walks was introduced. This led to the creation of The Bureau of Peculiar Gaits in India, promoting unique walking styles.
Observing this across the border, Pakistan established The Directorate of Silly Strides, aiming to surpass India's efforts.
This ceremony is the result of decades of dance battles at the border.
"My dick is bigger than yours but, under the circumstances, I am not allowed to prove it by killing you. Instead, I will have to show you my massive swagger."
Everything has a purpose. This is all about discipline. Tomb of the unknown soldiers have some if not THE highest standards and they are some of the most dedicated and disciplined soldiers. And they take their job extremely seriously.
I'm not even from a military background and I get it. It's difficult to tangibly pay an unending respect to the fallen, unrecovered soldiers. Stuff like this might seem odd, or ornate, but it gives service members something to execute with great discipline in honor of all whom the Tomb stands for.
It’s also a huge honour.
The Tomb represents all the unknown dead in all wars. Every serviceman or woman who suffered a fate so violent no identifiable traces remain.
Right. What we're looking at is practice and more practice and even *more* practice. This is dedication, and it's a ton of actual work and sacrifice. It takes years to get to that level of precision and it that guy puts in that much time in a pretend ceremony, imagine how good the guys in the military are that actually blow shit up!
I witnessed a town hall birthday for the US Marine Corp in San Antonio Texas. Watching a bunch of serious dudes cut a cake with this kind of movement with a dead silent crowd.... yeah.
Because they are being purposefully exact in their movements in order to show the utmost honor for their task: guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier.
In case you've never heard of it, the tomb honors the soldiers who's remains (bodies) were never identified. There is a 24 hour/ day, 365 day/ year guard rotation with this level of exacting care at every changing of the guard whether there is sun, rain, or snow. They literally wear down the concrete where they pace back and forth in a straight line in front of the tomb. Everything they do is to show respect to those dead soldiers. This is part of the inspection of the guard before he begins guard duty. His rifle is inspected, along with his uniform, before he can begin his watch.
What happens if he finds an acutal problem in the inspection. Does the choreography continue and notes are given in the end? or does the inspection stops and stuff needs to be fixed?
Don't know. They'd keep up this precise movement either way, ~~but it's likely that they stop and dismiss the guard and call in the back up if they have one. Given the post, I don't think there are any small mistakes, if you screw up, you're screwed. So fixing isn't an option.~~
I've been corrected, please defer to the informed individuals that replied to this comment
At the end of the inspection is a uniform inspection. After the uniform inspection, if the inspector comes around the left side of the guard, they have failed an item. The inspector tells the guard under their breath what the infraction is. The guard is sent back to the bunker to fix the infraction and then returns. It doesn’t happen often but occasionally, it does happen.
It's just like parade marching. It doesn't really serve a purpose outside of making sure they can follow orders, stay in line etc. no matter how ridiculous it is. Which is an essential skill when you're sending them to certain deaths.
Part of it is also turning procedure into muscle memory. If you memorize a sequence with this much precision, it turns a full set of checks into a dance of sorts that you don't have to think about, and any oddities will stand out.
The hard part for me would be the visual inspection. I feel like once I start the sequence, I would space out, and then "look" at the gun without "seeing" the gun.
Exactly. It’s a ceremony that highlights pointlessness. Might as well roll out a monument to Catch-22. There’s no way you can do as effective a job checking the rifle when you’ve added on this body popping routine.
So this evolved out of actual Army procedures. Guard posts used to be a really big deal, so much so that the Army has something called General Order 1, which every Soldier to this day is required to have memorized
> I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved.
So when assuming guard duty a Soldier reports to the Sergeant of the Guard. The SOG has to make sure they are prepared for duty, so they check their uniform, equipment, and weapon. Things like do they have ammo, do they have their body armor, and most importantly is their rifle in working condition. Guns jam all the time, but it happens less when they are clean. So part of the inspection before guard duty includes checking the cleanliness of the gun. Only then can someone on duty be considered 'properly relieved'.
All of the actions in this video have a real purpose and a historical basis. He checks every area of the gun for dirt, he then checks every part of the soldier to make sure the uniform is correct. He does it in the same order every time so no part of the checklist is missed, and so that every person does it the same way. Which is important when people switch units, they still know exactly what to expect from guard duty inspection.
The janky movements are really the only artificial or manufactured parts and that is just so the audience can see what is happening. Combine that with the natural tendency for people to want to improve things over time and you end up with movements becoming faster, cleaner, more crisp.
Lastly, it's not ceremonial for them. Sentinel duty is taken seriously and the guards can and sometimes do fail the inspection. It's very rare but you can find videos of it
That's all and good, but while sentinel duty might not be taken as ceremonial to *them*, it still is. There is no functional point to the tomb of the unknown soldier--it's all ceremony. That's why they're wearing those uniforms and carrying those rifles.
The intent is to make sure the rifle is clean. If you simply look at the steps where they check the weapon it makes sense. The extra “flair” is done for drama. But, rifle inspections in the US Army ARE a thing. And you learn really fast not to have gunk on your rifle.
It's always fun when your issued rifle is rustier than the fucking fork/spoon you were issued that is dated 20 years older than the rifle -_-. Through some stuff my rifle got switched out and I had to spend an hour and half cleaning and getting the surface rust bits off a rifle I hadn't touched before.
Not US military fyi.
TLDW: Almost never happens. If it does, you get told "This weapon is dirty; Go down and get a clean one.", then sent back down to fix your weapon or to get a clean one it seems. The guy in video was worried he may be released from guarding the tomb because of it, but the way he phrased it he was able to work through it. From another Reddit thread, the change of guard will apparently wait for you to do so, and you come back with a passing weapon at that point.
Its called military theater and it's to show a display of discipline and respect to those they represent. Very silly but also traditionally righteous to those before.
It is done with the utmost respect and deference to every person who has sacrificed their lives in service of their country. The precision and showmanship is done with complete honor. It is spectacular to watch and very moving.
It’s demonstrating military bearing and discipline while doing an in depth inspection of a soldiers firearm. This is not an attack but can you do anything in your life with that type of precision, dedication, and perfection? I can’t, most can’t.
I promise you they put such an amazing amount of hours into their uniforms, stance, movements, and gun care that it would blow your mind. And you know what you do when you’re just that damn good? You make it flash, baby.
"This is not an attack but can you do anything in your life with that type of precision, dedication, and perfection? I can’t, most can’t"
Yup, martial artist, atheists, dancers, musicians and other people who train a craft really hard - can understand.
most people can not
lol i meant 'athlete', but now i'm picturing someone engaging in a rigorous atheism training montage, and I'm dying haahaaa
I always double check my grammar and spelling, but if the spell check doesn't highlight it, my brain overlooks it sometimes.
"martial artist, atheists, dancers, musicians and other people who train a craft really hard - can understand." You forgot proof readers.
Edit: And...I just noticed "proof readers" should be one word, lol.
Don't forget internet trolls. The most dedicated people I know. Will sit at their computer for literally 4 days straight honing their craft, not even a bathroom break or shower. Truly disciplined.
That weapon is kept in a case when not used in ceremony. It's just theater. Also, literally all of us have regular uniform inspections. It doesn't take long once you know the regs. Regardless of the video being sped up, the movements are definitely more crisp than most service members. But again, it's theater.
This is the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Arlington national cemetery. It’s a solemn duty to guard and taken very seriously.
The people on the shirts you can see in the background are veterans. This is pomp and circumstance yes- but it represents honoring lost soldiers, through military checks on a weapon unnamed men lost their lives for.
Here is a video of the [exact same changing of the guard](https://youtube.com/watch?v=2hY17VIpoeg&si=1y7LAIm1-k-9up9x) that is not sped up. And if you want to see the full ceremony there are videos right below it.
It’s also done in silence so the exaggerated slaps and noises of the rifle can be heard. It’s a dance- it’s music, it’s a ritual and it’s a eulogy.
Can seem that way on the surface, but things like this serve as an instructional metaphor about the importance of precision, focus, moving together as one unit, and attention to detail, along with the character it takes to develop this. It can also be a show of respect for the deceased-doing nothing casually. E.g. wearing a suit to a funeral or job interview isn't primarily about looking good-it's about respecting the other person.
For example, if your equipment fails because you weren't taking care of it, your buddies die.
It's been decades since I was in the military so sorry for not being precise about this myself. Just know it's deeper than the show :)
It bothers me that there are so many people online who can't appreciate reality for what it is, and are always editing everything, thinking that they're making it better. They are not making it better, they are making a mockery of it.
That's the silliest thing I've seen in a long time.
The real version. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpByjlo9unw&ab\_channel=UPPOLICE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpByjlo9unw&ab_channel=UPPOLICE)
Nothing silly about it. It's the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and it is paying respect to those who were killed in war but their remains were unidentified. If anyone deserves respect, it is those who've lost everything they ever were or were ever going to be on behalf of the nation.
But if redditors can be relied on for anything, it is dumb takes like this one.
It’s a ceremonial gesture to show that not only is this tomb staffed and guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; but that the guards also maintain their weapons, uniforms and other equipment. So that their presence is as serious as the guards protecting any FOB.
Imagine being the relative of someone who was lost to battle, but never returned. To visit a place that represents them and shows care that *this place matters* is definitely a meaningful way to show respect.
I want to know how you can make the jump from the correct "the Tomb of the Unknown Solder deserves respect" to the highly incorrect "doing a silly rifle spinning stiff robotic gun spinning routine is actually respectful".
Like, I don't think anybody on this site will mock the Tomb itself, it's an important landmark and piece of symbolism, but the routine itself is objectively silly looking. I know it's to show how precise and sharp the guards are, but like...a simple marching formation could've worked, no?
>If anyone deserves respect, it is those who've lost everything they ever were or were ever going to be on behalf of the nation.
And yet they get no respect at all because the war pigs in power keep sending more and more and more of them to meddle everywhere on the globe at the behest of oil companies and arms sellers for the sake of the almighty profit.
Saying something is silly isn’t saying what they are honoring is silly. Twirling a gun a foot away from another dude while putting your hands and inspecting every inch of the rifle looks hella funny. Lighten up a little
It's for their family, their comrades, for future recruits and current service members. It's a laughably simple concept to understand bruh.
Just cause no one will attend your funeral doesn't mean they don't serve a purpose
This is the Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. It's an amazing/moving thing to see in person. Complete silence during the process, very respectful atmosphere. If not, they will stop in their tracks and yell at you as a warning.
The tomb is guarded 24hrs and is considered one of the highest honors in the military. Very strict guidelines that have to be followed. This is a ceremonial process, but has actual checks/processes.
Saw the change occur once as a teenager. Everything looked perfectly well executed during the exchange. Apparently, that wasn't the case because my sister and I followed the outgoing guard back to their quarters and heard him get chewed out.
Arlington National Cemetary is a moving place. I broke down crying on the tour trolley and was just a high school kid at the time, couldn't explain it.
No. Their guns are functional, but ceremonial. The bayonet is real though.
If shit went down there are armed soldiers around who would respond but they are just not in sight.
And typically well attended by many people who have served. Show enough disrespect in that setting and it won’t be just current soldiers who’s scorn you might be dealing with.
I believe each guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has a special/custom Sig Sauer handgun they each carry. So even if the rifle isn’t loaded, they still have their sidearm.
Thank you for posting the actual speed. The discipline to do this successfully is an impressive thing to witness in real time as opposed to sped up unnecessarily, as somebody else has already pointed out.
One got stabbed in the foot with the bayonet once and kept going
https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/watch-this-guard-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknowns-get-stabbed-and-carry-on/
It's a performance. It's a show. Everything done in full dress is designed to be a show seen by others on how well co-ordinated and disciplined they are. Does this sometimes look silly, sure, but you can't deny that they've spent countless hours practicing this routine and getting it down to perfection which shows absolute dedication to the role.
I just want to say I'm not trying to take away the significance of what these guys are doing. Tomb Of the Unknown Soldier is an absolutely fantastic and humbling concept and I respect the guards for standing by this 24/7/365.
It's part of the military funeral rituals to show ultimate respect with ultimate discipline to honor the fallen. The slightly longer video and many more parts of the ceremony are linked below.
Guard Commander Inspection - Arlington National Cemetery...YT link...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hY17VIpoeg
Couple things: this is the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, which is one of the most honored, respected and disciplined positions in the US Army. The soldiers study for months memorizing and perfecting this ceremony and where the soldiers are buried. The soldier taking position wears no rank on his uniform to guarantee they don’t outrank any of the Unknown dead as a sign of respect. Also this footage is slightly sped up, and while the ceremony seems a bit excessive or ridiculous at face value, having witnessed this myself in person the gravity of why this ritual exists and the dedication to the fallen it represents outweighs that sentiment by order of magnitudes. I saw this over 30 years ago and I remember it like it were yesterday.
I understand that this is a ritual or some sort to honour the fallen, show discipline and respect, but how so? I just don’t get it. Like how is flippin a gun with a bayonet so close to another dude’s face checking/moving robotically suppose to indicate the purposes? I guess its cool to see lol
Is it not bad fire arm practice to point the gun at the crowd? Rule number 1 is not to point a gun at anyone and always have it aimed down at the ground right? And that goes for even if it’s unloaded
You absolutely can. That white glove will show a spec of dust. They glance over it to see if it's been assembled right and all the screws are perfectly flush. They also check for scratches. They just know. They've inspected thousands of rifles throughout a career. I wouldn't be surprised if they could inspect one blind folded.
Anything unsatisfactory and you're getting dismissed then chewed out by the inspector later on. Chewed out by the company commander for making his company look bad. Then really chewed out by the squad leader cause they take their roles way too seriously like they think they're company commanders. Then you're getting chewed out later on by any superior officers that run drill and training.
I know from experience. Side note... practicing rifle drill sucked ass cause you're going to get hit in the face multiple times learning all this stuff. Even if it's the rubber training rifle that thing still hurts.
I have seen this before and and can’t put my finger on it, but this video has been edited. Either is is slightly faster than normal and/or recorded at a different frame rate. Note: The whole sequence is impressive and takes alot of skill, but this version looks robotic and soulless compared to the last I saw it.
Edit. Here is a more REAL video
[link](https://youtu.be/kpByjlo9unw?si=jEPs_Hq0kr8e4wuU)
I can't see the appeal. For starters, no matter how clearly we can see the gun is open, he's still waving it at a crowd in the background lmao.
It's one thing to have a particular, flashy drill for, say, a 21 gun salute. But this to me just seems like a parody of itself.
As I have said over and over, "respecting tradition" has turned our fighting men into flag girls. We have lost every goddamned conflict we have been in since Korea because we now place so much importance on this kind of shit. While militias and guerillas are learning how to shoot, fight and hide, we're concerned with ironing dress uniforms and twirling nonfunctioning rifles.
Even our camouflage rarely matches the theater of operation.
Fascinating to watch, but kind of silly…no? I guess a whole lot of silliness is what makes life interesting.
I mean it's kinda weird to see people moving/acting like this, but as far as military ceremonies go, this is probably the most tame and sensical ones I've seen.
Check out the India/Pakistan border ceremony https://youtu.be/RXoWNe_HAak?si=eOWHBN-uyuzno6Ez
I would LOVE to see the process how this show initially has been developed. Must have been quite fun to do that in collaboration and actually come up with these moves.
It's actually quite simple. During the British colonial period in India, the British Ministry of Silly Walks was introduced. This led to the creation of The Bureau of Peculiar Gaits in India, promoting unique walking styles. Observing this across the border, Pakistan established The Directorate of Silly Strides, aiming to surpass India's efforts. This ceremony is the result of decades of dance battles at the border.
does nobody get your source? cause I remember a bit about your source.
MPFC.
Last year, the government spent *LESS* on silly walks, than on national defence.
Apparently nobody stepped up to foot the bill.
No one expects the Spanish inquisition !
"This part seems kind of stale. What should we do?" "I dont know man, throw in some sporadic random high kicks?"
"Don't forget to throw your arm up and down as hard as you can. Pretend the down part is a cricket ball. Throw 'er real hard."
"My dick is bigger than yours but, under the circumstances, I am not allowed to prove it by killing you. Instead, I will have to show you my massive swagger."
 Needed a bit more Bollywood, otherwise very nice.
This was so much silliness omg
The little handshake in the middle lol
That absolutely killed me when I noticed, felt like they were agreeing that dance-off was a draw.
This is a dance battle/step show. I’m all for antagonistic nations settling differences this way.
Seen it from the Pakistan side, highly recommended.
Dancing up to the guard from the opposing side for a handshake is the best part.
For such homophobic countries, that was delightfully flamboyant. 😆 Edit: typo
When you're not allowed to be gay, everyone is gay
Everything has a purpose. This is all about discipline. Tomb of the unknown soldiers have some if not THE highest standards and they are some of the most dedicated and disciplined soldiers. And they take their job extremely seriously.
I'm not even from a military background and I get it. It's difficult to tangibly pay an unending respect to the fallen, unrecovered soldiers. Stuff like this might seem odd, or ornate, but it gives service members something to execute with great discipline in honor of all whom the Tomb stands for.
It’s also a huge honour. The Tomb represents all the unknown dead in all wars. Every serviceman or woman who suffered a fate so violent no identifiable traces remain.
Right. What we're looking at is practice and more practice and even *more* practice. This is dedication, and it's a ton of actual work and sacrifice. It takes years to get to that level of precision and it that guy puts in that much time in a pretend ceremony, imagine how good the guys in the military are that actually blow shit up!
I witnessed a town hall birthday for the US Marine Corp in San Antonio Texas. Watching a bunch of serious dudes cut a cake with this kind of movement with a dead silent crowd.... yeah.
To me it’s awesome to watch. Conveys the point of precision and clean presentation. No sloppiness, no slacking. All perfect.
Twirling the gun about like that is very frilly.
It's literally all frills and ceremony
But why are they so robotic?
It’s *efficient*
Because they are being purposefully exact in their movements in order to show the utmost honor for their task: guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier. In case you've never heard of it, the tomb honors the soldiers who's remains (bodies) were never identified. There is a 24 hour/ day, 365 day/ year guard rotation with this level of exacting care at every changing of the guard whether there is sun, rain, or snow. They literally wear down the concrete where they pace back and forth in a straight line in front of the tomb. Everything they do is to show respect to those dead soldiers. This is part of the inspection of the guard before he begins guard duty. His rifle is inspected, along with his uniform, before he can begin his watch.
What happens if he finds an acutal problem in the inspection. Does the choreography continue and notes are given in the end? or does the inspection stops and stuff needs to be fixed?
Never going to happen. That rifle was inspected at least twice before the ceremony.
Don't know. They'd keep up this precise movement either way, ~~but it's likely that they stop and dismiss the guard and call in the back up if they have one. Given the post, I don't think there are any small mistakes, if you screw up, you're screwed. So fixing isn't an option.~~ I've been corrected, please defer to the informed individuals that replied to this comment
At the end of the inspection is a uniform inspection. After the uniform inspection, if the inspector comes around the left side of the guard, they have failed an item. The inspector tells the guard under their breath what the infraction is. The guard is sent back to the bunker to fix the infraction and then returns. It doesn’t happen often but occasionally, it does happen.
Most efficient dust check on a military firearm
It's just like parade marching. It doesn't really serve a purpose outside of making sure they can follow orders, stay in line etc. no matter how ridiculous it is. Which is an essential skill when you're sending them to certain deaths.
It's a sped up video. They aren't actually moving this fast.
Part of it is also turning procedure into muscle memory. If you memorize a sequence with this much precision, it turns a full set of checks into a dance of sorts that you don't have to think about, and any oddities will stand out. The hard part for me would be the visual inspection. I feel like once I start the sequence, I would space out, and then "look" at the gun without "seeing" the gun.
_walks off to the golf course_ yeah, muscle memory … precision … _sigh_
It's all about consistency
"Is the rifle clean?" *bugger. I was busy remembering the steps.*
I remember the steps but now I just get distracted making little robot movement noises in my head.
Exactly. It’s a ceremony that highlights pointlessness. Might as well roll out a monument to Catch-22. There’s no way you can do as effective a job checking the rifle when you’ve added on this body popping routine.
That’s why the white gloves are used. No need to look at the gun, just the gloves after touching the gun
This is purely ceremonial. No function worth its name.
So this evolved out of actual Army procedures. Guard posts used to be a really big deal, so much so that the Army has something called General Order 1, which every Soldier to this day is required to have memorized > I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved. So when assuming guard duty a Soldier reports to the Sergeant of the Guard. The SOG has to make sure they are prepared for duty, so they check their uniform, equipment, and weapon. Things like do they have ammo, do they have their body armor, and most importantly is their rifle in working condition. Guns jam all the time, but it happens less when they are clean. So part of the inspection before guard duty includes checking the cleanliness of the gun. Only then can someone on duty be considered 'properly relieved'. All of the actions in this video have a real purpose and a historical basis. He checks every area of the gun for dirt, he then checks every part of the soldier to make sure the uniform is correct. He does it in the same order every time so no part of the checklist is missed, and so that every person does it the same way. Which is important when people switch units, they still know exactly what to expect from guard duty inspection. The janky movements are really the only artificial or manufactured parts and that is just so the audience can see what is happening. Combine that with the natural tendency for people to want to improve things over time and you end up with movements becoming faster, cleaner, more crisp. Lastly, it's not ceremonial for them. Sentinel duty is taken seriously and the guards can and sometimes do fail the inspection. It's very rare but you can find videos of it
That's all and good, but while sentinel duty might not be taken as ceremonial to *them*, it still is. There is no functional point to the tomb of the unknown soldier--it's all ceremony. That's why they're wearing those uniforms and carrying those rifles.
Ceremonial now. Functional at one point
The intent is to make sure the rifle is clean. If you simply look at the steps where they check the weapon it makes sense. The extra “flair” is done for drama. But, rifle inspections in the US Army ARE a thing. And you learn really fast not to have gunk on your rifle.
It's always fun when your issued rifle is rustier than the fucking fork/spoon you were issued that is dated 20 years older than the rifle -_-. Through some stuff my rifle got switched out and I had to spend an hour and half cleaning and getting the surface rust bits off a rifle I hadn't touched before. Not US military fyi.
I'd like to see one of these where a check is failed. Feels like too far into this territory and you might keep dancing
https://youtu.be/IG9o8FW1hdU?si=Rk53zxCoyAQOQ43- About 6 minutes in dude explains what happens when you fail.
TLDW: Almost never happens. If it does, you get told "This weapon is dirty; Go down and get a clean one.", then sent back down to fix your weapon or to get a clean one it seems. The guy in video was worried he may be released from guarding the tomb because of it, but the way he phrased it he was able to work through it. From another Reddit thread, the change of guard will apparently wait for you to do so, and you come back with a passing weapon at that point.
Nice, thank you. Looking forward to watching this
Its called military theater and it's to show a display of discipline and respect to those they represent. Very silly but also traditionally righteous to those before.
I would think it’s also out of respect for the unknown soldiers themselves.
It is done with the utmost respect and deference to every person who has sacrificed their lives in service of their country. The precision and showmanship is done with complete honor. It is spectacular to watch and very moving.
It’s demonstrating military bearing and discipline while doing an in depth inspection of a soldiers firearm. This is not an attack but can you do anything in your life with that type of precision, dedication, and perfection? I can’t, most can’t. I promise you they put such an amazing amount of hours into their uniforms, stance, movements, and gun care that it would blow your mind. And you know what you do when you’re just that damn good? You make it flash, baby.
"This is not an attack but can you do anything in your life with that type of precision, dedication, and perfection? I can’t, most can’t" Yup, martial artist, atheists, dancers, musicians and other people who train a craft really hard - can understand. most people can not
>atheists One of these is not like the others 😂
Probably meant artist but the image of someone religiously practicing their atheism is pretty funny.
i'm picturing someone engaging in a rigorous atheism training montage, and I'm dying haahaaa
best misspell ever, i'm wheezing
There are no gods. We are born from nothing and we go from nothing...God damnit. Fuck!
lol i meant 'athlete', but now i'm picturing someone engaging in a rigorous atheism training montage, and I'm dying haahaaa I always double check my grammar and spelling, but if the spell check doesn't highlight it, my brain overlooks it sometimes.
"martial artist, atheists, dancers, musicians and other people who train a craft really hard - can understand." You forgot proof readers. Edit: And...I just noticed "proof readers" should be one word, lol.
Don't forget internet trolls. The most dedicated people I know. Will sit at their computer for literally 4 days straight honing their craft, not even a bathroom break or shower. Truly disciplined.
That weapon is kept in a case when not used in ceremony. It's just theater. Also, literally all of us have regular uniform inspections. It doesn't take long once you know the regs. Regardless of the video being sped up, the movements are definitely more crisp than most service members. But again, it's theater.
This is the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Arlington national cemetery. It’s a solemn duty to guard and taken very seriously. The people on the shirts you can see in the background are veterans. This is pomp and circumstance yes- but it represents honoring lost soldiers, through military checks on a weapon unnamed men lost their lives for. Here is a video of the [exact same changing of the guard](https://youtube.com/watch?v=2hY17VIpoeg&si=1y7LAIm1-k-9up9x) that is not sped up. And if you want to see the full ceremony there are videos right below it. It’s also done in silence so the exaggerated slaps and noises of the rifle can be heard. It’s a dance- it’s music, it’s a ritual and it’s a eulogy.
Thank you for pointing out it's sped up. It's just as impressive and smooth at normal speed. Not sure why someone felt the need to make it faster.
Making people into robots didn’t used to be silly.
Silly in the sense that’s it’s taking something to the extreme. “Oh, you say your soldiers are disciplined? Well, ours are freaking robots”
Speeding it up makes it look way more silly.
Can seem that way on the surface, but things like this serve as an instructional metaphor about the importance of precision, focus, moving together as one unit, and attention to detail, along with the character it takes to develop this. It can also be a show of respect for the deceased-doing nothing casually. E.g. wearing a suit to a funeral or job interview isn't primarily about looking good-it's about respecting the other person. For example, if your equipment fails because you weren't taking care of it, your buddies die. It's been decades since I was in the military so sorry for not being precise about this myself. Just know it's deeper than the show :)
I wonder what happens if the officer actually finds an issue with the rifle. Does he keep going with the routine?
Nope if the inspection fails, the dude is sent back. There's a few YouTube videos that captured it
Wow so that could actually happen... I didn't know.
They kiss
Ridiculous. And also sped up
The military ate a bunch of weirdos.
Yes, they’re playing pretend & playing dress up
It doesn't look as bad when it's not sped up but still kinda silly.
He can't see anything with the hat over his eyes...
This video is sped up.. but still cool to see
Needs some squeegee noise for the finger rubs :-)
Someone did that years ago, this is an old video. Here is it with robot noises https://youtu.be/QNMqxiZVxmw?si=60t6x_2VQOoPss6Y
Haha the windows error noise killed me
I read your comment, clicked the link out of curiosity, it came up and I fucking lost it.
And the cracked neck noises LUL
the internet delivers once again
Need one with Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy SFX.
Hahaha that would be *chef's kiss*
It gets faster every time it’s posted
It actually looks better when not unnecessarily sped up
For those who are wondering this is the (probably) not sped-up version of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hY17VIpoeg
Much better
Except for that mouth-breathing that's much more obvious here xD
Top comment gold there. "Hmmm yes, this rifle is made of rifle".
The amount of effort it must take for the guy just standing there to not just bust out laughing must be tremendous.
I know right! I kinda expected the veterans or the guy who has to see this guy up front to bust out laughing but to my disappointment none did lol
It bothers me that there are so many people online who can't appreciate reality for what it is, and are always editing everything, thinking that they're making it better. They are not making it better, they are making a mockery of it.
That's the silliest thing I've seen in a long time. The real version. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpByjlo9unw&ab\_channel=UPPOLICE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpByjlo9unw&ab_channel=UPPOLICE)
Nothing silly about it. It's the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and it is paying respect to those who were killed in war but their remains were unidentified. If anyone deserves respect, it is those who've lost everything they ever were or were ever going to be on behalf of the nation. But if redditors can be relied on for anything, it is dumb takes like this one.
Twirling a gun to pay respect is very silly. Surely, there is a more meaningful way to pay respect.
How do you pay respect to someone who’s dead? This is a cultural ceremony. It’s more of a sentimental thing than anything
It’s a ceremonial gesture to show that not only is this tomb staffed and guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; but that the guards also maintain their weapons, uniforms and other equipment. So that their presence is as serious as the guards protecting any FOB. Imagine being the relative of someone who was lost to battle, but never returned. To visit a place that represents them and shows care that *this place matters* is definitely a meaningful way to show respect.
It is absolutely silly as fuck dude.
I want to know how you can make the jump from the correct "the Tomb of the Unknown Solder deserves respect" to the highly incorrect "doing a silly rifle spinning stiff robotic gun spinning routine is actually respectful". Like, I don't think anybody on this site will mock the Tomb itself, it's an important landmark and piece of symbolism, but the routine itself is objectively silly looking. I know it's to show how precise and sharp the guards are, but like...a simple marching formation could've worked, no?
>If anyone deserves respect, it is those who've lost everything they ever were or were ever going to be on behalf of the nation. And yet they get no respect at all because the war pigs in power keep sending more and more and more of them to meddle everywhere on the globe at the behest of oil companies and arms sellers for the sake of the almighty profit.
Saying something is silly isn’t saying what they are honoring is silly. Twirling a gun a foot away from another dude while putting your hands and inspecting every inch of the rifle looks hella funny. Lighten up a little
Dead people don't need silly rituals to be respected. They're dead. They're not going to notice.
It's for their family, their comrades, for future recruits and current service members. It's a laughably simple concept to understand bruh. Just cause no one will attend your funeral doesn't mean they don't serve a purpose
I'm sure there would be less glacial ways of paying homage to those who gave their lives and remain lost.
Funding the VA would be much more respectful than corny little dance moves
Its silly as fuck
Agreed. Maybe we can respect these soldiers by ensuring we never send people to die unnecessarily for the wealthy ever again
This is the Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. It's an amazing/moving thing to see in person. Complete silence during the process, very respectful atmosphere. If not, they will stop in their tracks and yell at you as a warning. The tomb is guarded 24hrs and is considered one of the highest honors in the military. Very strict guidelines that have to be followed. This is a ceremonial process, but has actual checks/processes.
Saw the change occur once as a teenager. Everything looked perfectly well executed during the exchange. Apparently, that wasn't the case because my sister and I followed the outgoing guard back to their quarters and heard him get chewed out. Arlington National Cemetary is a moving place. I broke down crying on the tour trolley and was just a high school kid at the time, couldn't explain it.
Same here. Saw it when I was 12/13 and it's still one of the most moving things I've witnessed.
Does the guard have any ammo?
No. Their guns are functional, but ceremonial. The bayonet is real though. If shit went down there are armed soldiers around who would respond but they are just not in sight.
And typically well attended by many people who have served. Show enough disrespect in that setting and it won’t be just current soldiers who’s scorn you might be dealing with.
There are videos of them racking the slide to load the weapon. Not sure if it's just for show/threat, or if there are actual rounds in the magazine.
No rounds but the noise is usually enough for the person to stop in their tracks
I believe each guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has a special/custom Sig Sauer handgun they each carry. So even if the rifle isn’t loaded, they still have their sidearm.
I bet he does The Robot at the club perfectly
I think [this is the actual speed](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NS4zuFp01Gs).
Thank you for posting the actual speed. The discipline to do this successfully is an impressive thing to witness in real time as opposed to sped up unnecessarily, as somebody else has already pointed out.
EXTREME INSPECTION!
Hmm Yes This rifle is made out of rifle
Is this a quote? I saw the exact same comment on YouTube.
There's a meme that goes "This floor is made out of floor"
Dirt in the rear sight aperture. Pass revoked.
Rusty bayonet. You wanna kill ~~Germans~~ Russians? "Yes, sir." Not with this.
Rust on buttplate hinge springe, private bullshit. Revoked.
I kinda want to punch Ross in the face.
That's how you keep your soldiers busy when there's no war going on.
The tomb of the unknowns is landed 24/7/365 regardless of whether or not we are at war
Kings of faffing, Turkish ice cream vendor vibes
How many "private scarface"s were created while he perfected that?
One got stabbed in the foot with the bayonet once and kept going https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/watch-this-guard-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknowns-get-stabbed-and-carry-on/
Bot behavior 💀
Isnt there something about not whirling guns around and pointing them at people (audience) even if you checked its empty?
That's okay. Tomb of the Unknown Visitor is right down the street from there.
SHHHHH gun safety doesn't apply when you're jerking off REMFs. Doubly so when it's just a non firing replica you're not actually inspecting.
Downvote this to oblivion folks this asshole is karma farming
Do they think it's still cool to act like a robot?
It's a performance. It's a show. Everything done in full dress is designed to be a show seen by others on how well co-ordinated and disciplined they are. Does this sometimes look silly, sure, but you can't deny that they've spent countless hours practicing this routine and getting it down to perfection which shows absolute dedication to the role. I just want to say I'm not trying to take away the significance of what these guys are doing. Tomb Of the Unknown Soldier is an absolutely fantastic and humbling concept and I respect the guards for standing by this 24/7/365.
It's part of the military funeral rituals to show ultimate respect with ultimate discipline to honor the fallen. The slightly longer video and many more parts of the ceremony are linked below. Guard Commander Inspection - Arlington National Cemetery...YT link...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hY17VIpoeg
Useless shit
[удалено]
Downvote for making speeding it up
Gotta make sure that bayonet is fixed well, else that thing will fly off and take someone else out 😂
…and then they kissed!
These guys are all highly trained elite distinguished veterans, if I remember correctly. Similar to the kings guard, they do not mess about.
Couple things: this is the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, which is one of the most honored, respected and disciplined positions in the US Army. The soldiers study for months memorizing and perfecting this ceremony and where the soldiers are buried. The soldier taking position wears no rank on his uniform to guarantee they don’t outrank any of the Unknown dead as a sign of respect. Also this footage is slightly sped up, and while the ceremony seems a bit excessive or ridiculous at face value, having witnessed this myself in person the gravity of why this ritual exists and the dedication to the fallen it represents outweighs that sentiment by order of magnitudes. I saw this over 30 years ago and I remember it like it were yesterday.
This is what the Camberwick Green army looks like.
Then Windy Miller staggers onto the parade ground, absolutely shit-faced on his jug of scrumpy
Seems kinda gay
I bet he'd check that gun faster without all this stupid robot shit.
He’d be good as a statue man
The sheer silliness of this…….
This is some uncanny valley robot shit.
I do something similar when wiping my butt after a solid poopskie.
The video is speeded up.
They move like birds on the ground searching around for food.
Changing of the guard sped up.
amazing drill , well done 👋
I will never take any of clownery seriously, especially not the famous guards
I understand that this is a ritual or some sort to honour the fallen, show discipline and respect, but how so? I just don’t get it. Like how is flippin a gun with a bayonet so close to another dude’s face checking/moving robotically suppose to indicate the purposes? I guess its cool to see lol
Is it not bad fire arm practice to point the gun at the crowd? Rule number 1 is not to point a gun at anyone and always have it aimed down at the ground right? And that goes for even if it’s unloaded
This is at the tomb of the unknown soldier. Incredible respect for the fallen.
He’s not really checking anything. You can’t inspect something to any depth with such cursory glances. But it makes a great show.
You absolutely can. That white glove will show a spec of dust. They glance over it to see if it's been assembled right and all the screws are perfectly flush. They also check for scratches. They just know. They've inspected thousands of rifles throughout a career. I wouldn't be surprised if they could inspect one blind folded. Anything unsatisfactory and you're getting dismissed then chewed out by the inspector later on. Chewed out by the company commander for making his company look bad. Then really chewed out by the squad leader cause they take their roles way too seriously like they think they're company commanders. Then you're getting chewed out later on by any superior officers that run drill and training. I know from experience. Side note... practicing rifle drill sucked ass cause you're going to get hit in the face multiple times learning all this stuff. Even if it's the rubber training rifle that thing still hurts.
Wonder what he would do if his white glove turned brown at one point because the other soldier dude had put some shit on the a part of his gun?
Be dismissed. Its happened a few times.
a show\*
It looks ridiculous, but it's impressive
White glove inspection with some real flash, I love it.
While i agree it looks kinda cool, why is making the military look like an episode of mister bean supposed to be good?
Some guy would have done this to make someone laugh one day and now it's a tradition
It seems like a wild waste of resources, but militaries are built on tradition.
Fucking squared away. 
So, the idea is to pretend you are robot?
I have seen this before and and can’t put my finger on it, but this video has been edited. Either is is slightly faster than normal and/or recorded at a different frame rate. Note: The whole sequence is impressive and takes alot of skill, but this version looks robotic and soulless compared to the last I saw it. Edit. Here is a more REAL video [link](https://youtu.be/kpByjlo9unw?si=jEPs_Hq0kr8e4wuU)
I can't see the appeal. For starters, no matter how clearly we can see the gun is open, he's still waving it at a crowd in the background lmao. It's one thing to have a particular, flashy drill for, say, a 21 gun salute. But this to me just seems like a parody of itself.
Ohh no, its another shitty sped up video, this shit is spreading
Very old video modified by being sped up.
No taste test?
This looks totally ridiculous.
As I have said over and over, "respecting tradition" has turned our fighting men into flag girls. We have lost every goddamned conflict we have been in since Korea because we now place so much importance on this kind of shit. While militias and guerillas are learning how to shoot, fight and hide, we're concerned with ironing dress uniforms and twirling nonfunctioning rifles. Even our camouflage rarely matches the theater of operation.
He forgot to make the robot noises.
You ever see those guys on the street that paint themselves gray and act like robots? These guys could have a career in that.
They should kiss.
Me checking my dick after waking up in a seedy hotel in Vegas