Tips That Can Help You Attain A Well-Decorated Military Career

The respect that comes with the military uniform is enough reason to get into the service. But, maintaining the sanctity of that respect sure isn’t easy. Be it a career in the air force or army or marines or navy; it is challenging. It requires more than muscle and height to be a good officer of the law.

We talked to several veteran officers, and according to them, the following things are a must if you want to be a well-decorated military officer:

You MUST follow orders

The first thing you must do when you get into the military is to learn to follow orders. You’re new, and you don’t have a clue about how to run the barrack, so you have to learn.

The tricky part, though, is that the orders you receive while working may be different from what you’ve been taught. Still, disobeying a commanding officer wouldn’t be prudent. So, just nod your head or give a salute and do what you understand. Don’t be scared; commanding officers are mostly nice!

Read – How people rise in rank in the military

Seek information and education

You need to know that when you get to E-4, the journey becomes harder. At E-4, there are no free promotions. Here, you have to convince the military that you’ve not only got what they need, but you’re also the best at what you do. You can upgrade your qualification by taking civilian college courses and enrolling in military correspondence courses. This will also help at the time of promotions.

Stars and Stripes | You must follow orders, and always be eager to learn

Be motivated

Motivation can get many things done. As a motivated soldier, you need to get your job done and do it well. The way you obey commanding officers and the passion you put into the job will show if you’re working passionately or you just want favors.

Don’t take rumors seriously

You should know that rumors filter around military camps and barracks more than news. So just discard any gossip flying around. So, if you hear one, don’t take it too seriously and don’t spread it in the camps. It will save you from a lot of stress and trouble.

Don’t give excuses

This is quite common to new officers in the military. They want to behave like no commanding officer can give orders to them. Some of them become rude or give lame excuses. Once you start giving excuses, your commanding officer will see that you’re just trying to escape telling the truth. This will begin creating hindrances in your path to being a well-decorated officer.

Read – 7 real excuses troops use that no NCO ever believes

In conclusion

If you want to be like Major Audie Murphy, the most decorated US World War II veteran, you need to be ready to obey orders or serve your country to the best of your ability. Don’t sit down and rely only on physical training, seek knowledge. Meet new people and seek information and advice from your predecessors.