We all know the tell-tale signs of a military service member, high-and-tight
haircut, camouflage backpack, polo shirt
and cargo shorts combination, unit t-shirts or hats, decals on cars, and of
course, “Affliction” t-shirts and not to forget the ‘dog tag on the neck. These
are all easy ways to spot military folks in public places. And while many of us
try not to stand out, there are still subtle indicators. Most civilians would
never notice these things, but they are dead giveaways to those who have
served. Here are the top ten.
1. Walking fast. You might be doing a
great job of blending in to your civilian surroundings, but your walk is always
going to give you away. Military personnel walk with a purpose, as if their
trip to the grocery store is actually a Ops briefing.
2. Hair. Broke your habit of
getting a high and tight? Good for you. But that leaves you two options: the
fade and the classic “officer or pilot hair.” Yes, we see you pushing the edges
of the “three inches on the top” rule as proscribed in Army.
3. Eating fast. Habits are hard to kick.
And rarely in the military did you ever have ample time to appreciate your food
even if you wanted to.
4. The power stance. Non-commissioned officers and officers are easy to spot, just
look for the person attempting to own the room through the “thumbs through the
belt power” stance or the “crossed arms and not leaning against anything”
stance.
5. Jargon. Just try not to say
“roger” or “affirmative” in conversations. Just try. Eventually, your language
will out you.
6. Walking. There is no way that a
group of military members can take a casual stroll down a sidewalk without
eventually falling into step. Even if you try not to, you will.
7. Sunglasses. Congratulations, you’re
not wearing Ribbon or G.I. frames. Well done. But you’re still wearing
sunglasses all the time. Even when it is cloudy outside.
8. Absurd politeness. You can easily pick out service members by their over usage of
“sir” and “ma’am.” It is a credit to the military’s discipline that a cashier
receives the same clipped tones and politeness a four-star general would.
9. Scanning crowds. Go to a party and you’re
bound to see the one person who is constantly scanning usually somewhere where
they can see the whole room. And God help the person acting suspicious because
the military promotes being confrontational.
10. Sleeping anywhere. Military personnel can sleep approximately anywhere, in any
weather, on anything.
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