A laurel wreath symbolizes victory in death and remembrance. An inverted wreath is a symbol of grief. This laurel wreath also represents the six inverted wreaths on the North and South sides of the Tomb, which symbolize the six major campaigns of World War I. Each inverted laurel wreath branch depicted in the emblem contains 16 leaves, paying homage to the 16 lines of the Sentinel’s Creed. The stems are crossed over signifying the bonds the Sentinels form with one another during training.

The six stars in the emblem highlight “Line 6” of the Sentinel’s Creed; “my standard will remain perfection.” The Unknowns deserve no less than perfection. The Creed is a reminder of what the Sentinels strive to achieve and why they do what they do. The youth that train in the program know that they will never reach perfection, but they are always striving to maintain that standard.

The background of the emblem is a shield. Each member of the program is a member of a family. They look up to one another as leaders, knowing one another’s strengths, their team purpose, and their duty.

The shield itself while seeming insignificant, points to the very core of the program’s leadership philosophy. Both the Spartans and the Trojans believed so much in their shields that to return home without it after battle was a penalty of death. You either returned with your shield or you returned on your shield. The shield is a visual picture of leadership at its finest. The shields were large and sturdy and would overlap one another as the line of soldiers stood in the phalanx. The shields would cover not only the soldier holding it but a portion of the man to the left and to the right of him. In battle you were not just protecting yourself, you were looking out for and protecting the soldiers to your sides. This shield in our emblem is strong symbolism of taking care of the team. Each member looks out for their teammates; assisting and developing them. All the while knowing that ultimately they are not just training to walk a mat. They are training to develop themselves and their peers into the leaders that would bring up the next generation. The team knows the secret to its success as a whole is developing leadership, comradery, and relationships.

The Roman numeral “21” symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed, the 21-gun salute. The Youth on Guard Sentinels march exactly 21 steps down the mat behind the Tomb, turn 90 degrees and wait 21 seconds, turn another 90 degrees to look down the mat and wait 21 seconds, then take 21 steps down the mat and repeat the process.

The Roman numeral “21” also symbolizes the year that the program was privatized.

The most prominent element in the emblem is that of the Tomb itself, as a reminder of why the program exists and to point to the true heroes that are honored at Arlington National Cemetery; the Unknowns.