By Iluva Maninuniform, special correspondent
Having been raised by a military officer, grown up in the military community, and dated more than a few servicemembers, I know about the many positive qualities of those who serve our nation — qualities that might just make them the perfect date. Here are my top reasons to date a military officer:
They’re punctual. They’re also used to a lifestyle of “hurry up and wait.” So if you’re not quite ready when they show up, they’ll entertain themselves.
They’re well-groomed. Although they might not always know how to pull together an off-duty look (you might see the occasional white knee-sock with sandals), they wear a uniform that won’t allow for that five days a week.
The uniform. This one doesn’t require explaining.
They travel. If you’re lucky, you might get to go with them. They travel the world, to places in Europe and Asia. You might even get to see parts of the U.S. you didn’t know you were missing — rural Alabama, rural Georgia, the middle-of-nowhere Midwest.
Chivalry. It’s not dead. Military officers will open doors, pull out chairs, and maybe even carry your absurdly bright-colored paisley luggage through the airport.
They’re handy. They can fix things. So what if that “fix” often involves an entire roll of 100-mile-an-hour tape? It might not be pretty, but it’ll be functional.
A good sense of direction. And if not, they know how to read a map. That’s right. I said map, like the ones made of paper, not GPS. So if that cellphone signal fades or your phone battery dies, they’ll still be able to find their way.
Camaraderie. There’s no tighter group of people than those in the military community. Regardless of location, they’ll be no shortage of people to welcome you to your new home, bring you a home-cooked meal, or just hang out and drink a beer with.
Life skills. You can rest assured that if dooms day ever comes, they’ll be fully prepped and ready to defend you against the zombie apocalypse.
Military speak. You’ll get to learn a whole new set of sayings that will make zero sense if they aren’t fully explained.
“Roger that” — “I understand” or “I hear you.”
“Soup sandwich” — not an actual meal, but rather something that’s a complete mess, much like putting soup between two pieces of bread would be.
“Let’s pop smoke.” — “Let’s go.”
“Hit the head” — No need to duck; it means they’re headed to the restroom.
Job security and good benefits. Do you know what good health care costs these days? I can tell you what servicemembers pay out of pocket: zero dollars. And how many jobs offer the choice of housing or housing allowance? Not many, but these military officers will have you covered, you know, if it works out between the two of you.