Inspired by the traditions of the Tomb of the Unknowns, Youth on Guard teaches discipline, ceremonial precision, and reverence for those who gave everything in service to our nation.
The first sentinels stepped forward in 1995. Three decades later, the standard has not bent.
From across the Tulsa community, young people step forward to learn discipline, precision, and reverence through ceremonial guard.
Every Memorial Day Weekend, they walk the mat in honor of those who gave everything.
What happens here is more than ceremony. It is a promise, carried forward across generations, that the Unknown Soldiers will never be forgotten.
We are driven by a single goal; to provide an avenue for veterans and their families to remember, honor, and heal.
An Unknown Soldier is one who has given everything in service to their country, including their identity. A soldier never dies until they are forgotten. We will never forget.
There are veterans who have stories that they will never tell. To stand guard over the Unknowns is to also stand guard over the deeds and acts of bravery that are also unknown.
The sixth line of the Sentinel's Creed reads, "My standard will remain perfection." The youth who train to serve on the Youth on Guard team learn, through striving for perfection, about duty, honor, and respect. This shapes each one to be an individual whose character and actions are fashioned to reflect the honor that the Unknowns deserve.
There are many who will never be able to visit Arlington National Cemetery. Our re-enactment provides an avenue for them to pursue closure.
Four stages between the application and the first post. The standard is not lowered for any of them.
An online application opens each June.
Youth are chosen on physical readiness, character, and the willingness to be measured against an exacting standard.
Two hundred hours of cadence, rifle drill, ceremonial standards, and the Sentinel Creed — until discipline becomes instinct.
Discipline in every movement. Reverence in every hour. The watch is carried with precision, silence, and unwavering respect for the fallen.
Join a tradition rooted in precision, respect, and selfless service. Every movement honors the fallen. Every member carries their legacy forward.
For thirty years, Youth on Guard has welcomed young people from across the community — students, athletes, youth organizations, and homeschool families alike — united by one standard of discipline, service, and remembrance.
At Youth on Guard, Duty, Honor, and Respect are more than ideals — they are the foundation of every Sentinel. These core values shape the discipline, character, and conduct required to carry the watch with integrity, guiding each act of service, remembrance, and reverence throughout the vigil.
Duty is the commitment to serve with discipline, accountability, and unwavering dedication to the mission. It calls Sentinels to reject shortcuts, embrace sacrifice, support one another with loyalty and respect, and place service above self in honor of those who came before us.
Open throughout Memorial Day Weekend — a space to reflect, to honor, and to stand in quiet reverence beside those keeping the vigil.
6500 South 129th East Avenue
Broken Arrow, OK 74012
May 23rd–25th, 2026
The Changing of the Guard, re-enacted in continuous rotation across Memorial Day Weekend — twenty-one steps, the rifle change, the silent count.
Learn MoreSince 1995, young people from across the community have carried the watch forward in a tradition built on discipline, remembrance, and honor.
Learn MoreA walking honor along the Avenue of Flags — righting and securing the flags that line the grounds through Memorial Day Weekend.
Walk the RouteReflections from Sentinels and the families they served — and an open invitation to leave your own on the Wall of Remembrance.
Like anything that spans four years of your life, Youth on Guard was an incredibly forming time for me. Through the rigorous training, serious contemplation, and an environment that fostered unwavering teamwork, YoG fostered an unwavering sense of self: ‘In service to others, the standard must be perfection.’
As Mayor, it is truly an honor to know we have such impressive youth willing to dedicate themselves to the rigorous training, discipline, and honor required to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Their commitment to service and respect for those who gave everything for our freedom is inspiring to us all.
Bless those that have fought to defend us and the sacrifices they and their families have made.
Wonderful and honorable work. Keep it up!
Throughout Memorial Day Weekend, families, veterans, and visitors gather in remembrance while the vigil continues hour after hour — carried forward by young people committed to honor, discipline, and service.