“No soldier outlives a thousand chances. But every soldier believes in Chance and trusts his luck.” – Erich Maria Remarque. Serving in the military is a life-changing experience. We can easily spot a military service member when we see one. Their habits, that they come to inculcate upon their commission in the military, are so distinct and while they may try to remain subtle in a crowd, their habits and body language make it easy for us to tell them apart from the crowd.

Here are some of the common military habits that make the soldiers awesome.

1. They are extremely polite. You can easily pick out service members by their over usage of “sir” and “ma’am.” The soldiers never discriminate among people when it comes to politeness. A shopkeeper would get the same amount of respect that a Colonel would. All thanks to the military discipline.
2. Their haircut! I have never come across any defence personnel how doesn’t have a smart haircut. The crew cut is the signature haircut that most of the service members have. Years will pass by and the soldiers will never get tired of sporting their smartly- cut hair.
3. Sunglasses! Wearing sunglasses has become like an unwritten norm for the military personnel. The military personnel wear sunglasses even when its’ not sunny outside! So much for a habit!
4. They walk fast. Military personnel walk with a purpose, as if their trip to the grocery store is actually a Ministry of Defence briefing! Their walk defines another parameter of confidence.
5. The power stance. Habits are hard to kick. The posture of the military personnel literally makes you feel that they own the place!
6. Use of jargons The military personnel have the habit of using jargons ( example- Roger, etc.) in their normal daily way of speaking. If a non-defence background individual is to hear them speak, I’m pretty sure they would be awestruck!
7. They have the tendency to scan the crowd and are very observant. If you are in a room full of people and you spot someone who’s been scanning and observing the crowd, you are most probably looking at a soldier. They can easily sense if something is suspicious and act accordingly.
8. They can sleep anywhere. Military personnel can sleep probably anywhere, in any weather, on anything. They also come out of it rapidly and coherently and it’s no big deal for them.
9. They are unbelievably punctual. So they have this really unbelievable punctuality. 1800 hours, for them, can become 1755 hours but not 1805 hours. They will always be on time, irrespective of the event, etc.
10. Their determination and courage are unmatched. The military personnel has so much determination for whatever they do. No task is big or small; they put their 100% in everything that they do. Their courage is something that inspires other people to be like them.

A soldier is a soldier. The nationality doesn’t matter and the race doesn’t matter. For them their country means everything. This is a good enough reason to conclude that each and every soldier is awesome.