7 Reasons to Date a Military Man
When I saw Glenn Reynolds‘ post “7 REASONS to date a military man,” my first thought was that, with the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell era fading, this will soon have a much wider audience. So, I dutifully clicked and got the details:
1. Conviction. Nothing says sexy more than someone who is putting his life on the line to protect your freedoms and rights. Joining the military is a choice; by serving his country, you know he has strong ideals and is willing to fight for them.
2. He is in great physical shape. Let’s not pretend that the fact he’s probably in the best shape of his life doesn’t turn you on. The rigorous training he is committed to is part of his daily routine, and you get to reap the benefits of his occupation’s strict physical and dietary habits. We’ll salute to that.
3. Potential for love letters. Since your relationship will probably be long-distance at certain points and for long periods of time, communication becomes quintessential. This means lots of emails, chats, phone conversations, and snail mail. The possibility of epic literary confessions of love is immense.
4. Independence and co-dependence. Since he is often in unfamiliar environments, you know that he can take care of himself. He is trained to survive hostile circumstances and protect his fellow soldiers, so he knows what it takes to work as a team. He knows how to work together for a common goal, but he can also assess a difficult situation and figure out a solution on his own. This can translate well for relationships. After all, love can be a battlefield too.
5. He takes directions well. The military is all about structure, order and rules. If he can survive taking commands from his superiors, you know that he won’t mind too much when you ask him to help you with the dishes every once in a while—or when you start ordering him around in the bedroom.
6. He can keep his room neat. Due to the discipline practiced in the barracks, you can count on him to pick up after himself and keep his personal affects in order. You can thank his drill sergeant for that one.
7. The uniform. It’s not just because the tailored cut of a uniform perfectly accentuates his physical assets. A uniform represents discipline, strength, courage, and fellowship—all traits that make for great partners. We are often attracted to men in uniform because of the message it sends to us: this is a person in a position of authority who can provide us with safety and whose job is to protect us from the dangers of the world.
Now, your mileage may vary on all these issues except probably the first. Depending on which branch of service he’s in, he may not be in great shape. Unless WWII comes around again, he’ll probably email or use the sat phone. Just because he takes orders from military superiors doesn’t mean he’ll listen to you; he may in fact resent your giving him orders. He may well not be neat at home. And most military uniforms nowadays are rather Sad Sack in their tailoring.
But, then again, if your point of comparison is the civilian population . . .
I thought this was humorous since my wife is active duty military and I’m a reservist.