Consider yourself lucky if your adventure buddy is an active duty or veteran member of the United States military! Having a skilled friend with special training to travel with and explore the outdoors is a great benefit to adventurous women.
Servicewomen and men develop habits that come along with the military lifestyle. Naturally, these habits carry over into their personal lives as they continue to exercise and develop skills that they learned in the military. Although every individual is unique, many people who have served in the U.S. military share qualities that make these outdoorswomen stand out from civilians.
Here are signs that your adventure buddy served in the U.S. military!
They collect and display patches
Being used to having their military uniforms, packs, and vests as places to display their patches, veterans love finding ways to show off their patch collection.
Many members of the military love to display patches showing their branch, hobbies, passions, specialties, and beliefs. If your adventure buddy has patches on their backpacks, vests, hats and more, there's a good chance that they served in the military.
They own multiple headlamps
A headlamp is one item you won't want to forget when camping, backpacking, or otherwise exploring in the dark. Having both hands free is essential for enjoying your outdoor activities. If you forgot your headlamp at home, you can trust that your military friend brought an extra you can borrow.
Service members of the military are issued headlamps that are put to the test while they're on tour and training. Through it all, these durable headlamps keep going! Although they might have a little dirt on them from the other side of the world, these military-issued headlamps can be used for your favorite outdoor recreational activities.
They drive a Jeep
Jeeps are the vehicles of the military and driving one can feel the most natural for women who've served in the military. Jeeps are great vehicles for off-roading and are up to most any challenge.
Originally military vehicles were called "general purpose" vehicles, or GP's. When the vehicles were built and designed for civilians, the company making them chose the name Jeep, based on what servicemen and women were calling them.
They're good at navigation
Hiking and traveling with someone who is good at navigation has its advantages! Military service members in the Army and other branches receive land navigation training. They develop navigation skills that are useful when exploring the outdoors in their everyday adventures and orienteering challenges.
Military members receive training on how to utilize maps and compasses, plot coordinate points, and communicate their path with others. If you see your adventure buddy navigating the way, ask about their training and have them show you some skills!
They eat quickly
When serving in the military, you're never given a lot of time to eat. From the get-go in basic training, service members are taught that eating quickly is a practice of good self-discipline.
This habit is reinforced throughout their time serving our country, and as you can imagine, it's a hard one to break! Even when they complete their time in the military, veterans have a difficult time slowing down while eating and enjoying their meal.
They're constantly drinking caffeine
Operating on little sleep is part of the job description when serving in the military. This habit is hard to break and you may find your adventure buddy drinking copious amounts of coffee and energy drinks.
If your friend is always refilling their cup of coffee or searching for a place to stop and re-caffeinate, there's a chance that they served in the military! It's highly likely that they travel with a Jetboil, too!
They're able to get-up-and-go at early hours
Having a friend that is able to get up early and show up on time is a must when looking for a reliable adventure buddy. Service women and men get their introduction to military life at basic training, where their sleeping habits are quickly reprogrammed. The 5 a.m. wake up call is brutal for most enlistees during the first week, as drill instructors storm into the bunks and rouse everyone to get out of bed.
If your adventure buddy is an active duty military member or veteran, chances are they won't oversleep their alarm and let you down! The habit of waking up early with the sun, or even earlier, is a habit that service women and men have developed over their time serving out country.
They like to 'one-up' people in conversation
If someone brags about something they accomplished, it can be hard for some veterans to hold back from one-upping them. This kind of talk is part of military culture and it can be a hard habit to break!
If you notice that your adventure buddy always seems to have a bigger, better story in comparison to your own, there's a good chance that they served in the military.
They have tattoos
Tattoos can commemorate milestones and symbolize our life journey, and serving in the military can make you grow up fast. It's common for military members to have tattoos.
You may see a tattoo that symbolizes their military branch, rank or specialty. Many servicewomen and men get tattoos commemorating their family as a close reminder of who they're fighting for while deployed on tour. It's true what they say - tattoos are addicting and it's hard to stop at one!
They have a supply of backpacks
Military are issued lots of gear throughout their service, including plenty of backpacks. If your adventure buddy has a closet of backpacks in tan, green, camouflage and black, there's a good chance they served in the military.
The military-issued backpacks are durable and practical, making them perfect for exploring the outdoors and keeping your gear organized at home. They also have a place to display your favorite patches.
They own and know how to operate firearms
Learning how to shoot a gun and training on firearm safety is standard for active duty military. Marksmanship training is provided where service members learn how to operate, carry and shoot a rifle and other firearms. While on duty, many who are required to carry a rifle become used to having it as an appendage.
Whether it's recreationally or for protection, it's common for active duty or veterans to own a firearm. If you find yourself in bear or mountain lion country and your adventure buddy comes prepared with a gun, there's a chance they served in the military.
Preparedness is their thing
If you find that your friend is obsessed with staying in the best shape for their outdoor passions even in the off-season, there's a chance that they may have served in the military. Do they carry a second set of everything? Yep! They could be a veteran.
While serving, members of the military are trained and prepared to go to war a moment's notice. That means being in the proper physical condition and having all of the required gear tuned up and ready for use. Military readiness is of the utmost importance in keeping our country safe and preparedness is a great skill for outdoor adventurers to have.
They're protective
For servicewomen and men, defending our country and protecting our people is their mission. Putting the safety of others before their own can be a default behavior for women and men who have served in the U.S. military.
If your adventure buddy takes careful notice of your surroundings and has a special sense for threats, there's a chance they are a veteran. You may see her insisting on being at the back of the pack, making sure everyone is safe, or keeping an eye on someone who is acting oddly.
They display the American flag
The American flag holds great meaning and that's especially true for the women and men who have served and defended our country. While all Americans enjoy the freedoms that our country provides for us, it's more common for servicewomen and men to proudly display the American flag compared to U.S. citizens.
If your adventure buddy has American flag hats and stickers on their vehicle, there's a chance they served in the military. Stepping into their home, you'll likely see American flags displayed on fireplace mantels, fridges and framed photos.
Your adventure buddy wears Oakleys
If your friend always wears Oakley sunglasses, goggles and eyeglasses, there's a chance they served in the military. Oakley is a veteran-owned and -operated company, and provide generous benefits to active duty military and veterans.
Oakley eyewear has a special division dedicated to serving the eyewear needs of women and men serving in the American military and first responders. Oakley eyewear technology and design provides your eyes with the ultimate protection. It makes sense that veterans will continue wearing Oakleys and supporting the brand that has supported the American military for over 25 years.
They operate on a 24-hour clock
Military time uses a 24-hour clock that begins at 00:00, midnight. Since the military operates 24 hours a day, it's easier to use this clock for scheduling and communication. Using the 24-hour clock also makes it easier to track time zones around the world, similar to Universal Time.
If your adventure buddy's watch shows a 24-hour clock, and they let you know what time it is this way, chances are they are currently serving in the military or are a veteran. If you're not used to communicating using a 24-hour clock, it can require some math and getting used to!
They call things "kit"
If you notice that your adventure buddy refers to any bags or collections of gear as a "kit," there's a good chance that they're a veteran. In the military, most everything is referred to as a kit and your friend will tell you that there's no better replacement word.
This is a military term that you might pick up yourself, as it makes sense for a lot of things that we carry as outdoor enthusiasts. You might even find yourself wondering if you have enough kits!
They've lived in multiple states or countries
Moving around constantly is standard for active duty members. Service members are typically transferred multiple times throughout their military career. Officers are usually transferred to another base every two years, while other positions may be 3-7 years.
This typically means moving to multiple states, and other countries for some! If your adventure buddy casually mentions living overseas and in more than two states, there's a good chance that they served in the military - or their parent did!
They carry a pocket knife
Pocket knives are seen as an essential tool by many members of the military - you never know when it will come in handy. Even for veterans, not having a pocket knife with them can feel like they're missing something.
Pocket knives are great tools to carry when exploring the outdoors, as you may need one to cut a rope, line, fabric, wood, and more. Adventurers who served in the military may carry a knife more often than the average Sally.
They can operate on little sleep
Another sacrifice of service members is sleep! Most members of the military receive fewer than six hours of sleep while serving our country, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. And half of those interviewed said their sleep quality was poor due to noises, light, temperature, and uncomfortable conditions.
Although sleeping conditions improve when exiting the military or while sleeping at home when not deployed, the routine habit of operating on little sleep has been formed. After serving in the military for a few years, the body can get used to operating on less sleep.
They respond with "affirmative"
If your adventure buddy replies with "affirmative" in a text when you ask if they're still going to be the driver for your trip to the mountains this weekend, there's a good chance that they served in the military.
"Affirmative" is a common response that service members use in the military to confirm that they understand what was communicated. It's a simple and easy phrase to use with friends when making plans, so why not continue to use it in everyday life?
They are resilient
Service members have put in the time and training to develop resilience, beginning from day one at boot camp. Surviving and thriving under mental and physical pressure and stress is a skill that members of the U.S. military have developed through rigorous training over time. Carrying a vision of the other side of the storm and having the self confidence to know that they can get through any challenge is what makes veterans resilient.
Having an adventure buddy who is resilient is exactly the type of person you'll want to have at your side when conditions prove to be tough. Veterans are often better than most at remaining calm, steadfast, and logical during less then perfect circumstances and being able to resiliently move through challenging seasons in their lives.
They bring MRE's with them
Members of the military are given meals ready to eat (MRE's) for training and while on tour. Out of these packets of dehydrated meals, everyone seems to have their favorite MRE and another MRE they despise. Backpackers, campers and other adventurers packing light are probably more familiar with MRE's than they'd like to be!
However enjoyable you find them, your adventure buddy might be a veteran if you find that they pack MRE's with them whenever you're staying more than a day. It's not a bad idea, if you don't mind your meal coming from a packet.
They say "Roger that"
Some phrases are hard to let go, and for members of the military, "Roger that" is one of those phrases. If you ask, they'll likely say that it's just the best way to reply that you understand and confirm what was said.
Those who haven't served in the military might not pick up the phrase, but that doesn't mean that your friend will stop saying it!
They speak in acronyms
If you hear your friend speaking in acronyms there's a good chance that they served in the military. Acronyms and other short-hand versions of things are another part of military life that comes naturally to servicewomen and men.
You might hear your military friend come up with new acronyms during your adventures, feeling the need to abbreviate the names for things. This might leave civilians confused, but you'll get the hang of it.
They call the bathroom "the head"
Instead of saying "I have to use the restroom," women who have served in the military may say, "I'm going to hit the head." If you find your adventure buddy referring to the bathroom as "the head" there's a strong chance they served in the military.
Many civilians understand this military term, but not many of them will use it! That's why it's likely your friend served the country if they hop off their bike to use "the head."
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