There are a lot of people who want to date a military person, and rightly so! These brave men and women are the epitome of selflessness, bravery, courage, and patriotism. Some people are quite specific and want to only date a marine officer. Before you go and find a local bar by the harbor and wait for a man in uniform to come on in, here are some essential things you need to know while dating a marine.
1. PDA is Limited
For most couples, PDA (public displays of affection) is a common practice and is expected. Unfortunately, while your Marine is in uniform, they have a very strict code of conduct which prevents them from participating in PDA. So, if were hoping to hold hands while walking down the street or stealing a quick kiss, you might want to think again.
2. No-Notice Deployment
You’re probably well aware that when you are dating a Marine, they will be deployed. What you may not realize is that there isn’t much notice, so when they get the call, they have to go. Plus, while they are deployed, communication is not always guaranteed. Sometimes the communication will be sporadic and brief. During these periods, you have to stay faithful and have trust in them that they are being faithful to you.
3. Social Media Decorum
While your friends are posting relationship status’ and commenting all lovey-dovey on each other’s walls, your Marine won’t be able to do the same. Everything they say and do online is done with the Marine Corps reputation in mind. Your Marine will want to make sure that the Corps is perceived the best way possible, and their actions will reflect that. So, that off color joke about the government that has a lot of “likes” and “shares” will not get a response from your Marine.
4. Base Rules
If you are with your Marine for a long period of time, chances are you will go from base to base with them. Even if you only go for a visit, you will want to become familiar with the rules for each base, as they aren’t always the same. Some bases require that you have a dependent ID when you are riding with your Marine, whereas other bases will ask each passenger to show ID.
5. Marine Language
When you are surrounded by a bunch of Marines and you listen to them talk to one another, you will probably be pretty confused. It would behoove you to learn the Marine lingo as quickly as possible — you will save yourself (and your Marine) some aggravation and headaches.
6. Military Time
One of the most difficult things civilians who have no exposure to the military is understanding military time. Folks in every branch of the military use a 24-hour clock, with midnight starting the new day at 0000. The daytime hours go from 0100 all the way to 1200, which is noon. Now the tricky part… Say your Marine is going to pick you up at 1500. That means they will get you at 3pm (1500 – 1200 = 3:00).