St. Joseph native becomes Sentinel guard

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- A St. Joseph native and military member has earned the position of a Sentinel guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

Awarded the 732nd badge since it was first established in 1958, Josh Habeeb is now a Sentinel guard. With a prestigious position like this, his accomplishment was nothing short of hard work.

"I would come in on my off days, we work 26-hour shifts, and spend about 12 hours on my uniform every day," Habeeb said.

Last year, Habeeb spoke with News-Press NOW about his preparation for the role. Since then, he has put in many hours handcrafting his uniform in addition to passing four tests, including memorizing 17 pages of tomb knowledge to paraphrase and recite. 

Since 1937, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been guarded every minute of every day. When members of the 3rd Infantry in Fort Myer, Virginia, become ceremonially qualified, they are eligible to volunteer for duty as Sentinels at the Tomb. To Habeeb, this honor goes beyond a ceremonial performance. 

"They gave more than just their life," Habeeb said. "They gave their identities, so they gave absolutely everything that they possibly could. It's super important that we protect those unknowns and that we're as perfect as we possibly can be.

Habeeb said even when Sentinels are not in full uniform, respect should be taken into every circumstance and he is excited to move forward and train other soldiers who are in the same position he was one year ago. 

"When we're not working, we still want to represent those unknowns and represent kind of what we stand for and be just the most stand-up person," Habeeb said.

You can read and watch Habeeb's initial interview here.