Military Folks: Describe a Captain.

[Rain Man]

I was walking home tonight, and ended up walking next to a soldier as we crossed a street. He was in full battle dress with the camo and boots and stuff (though no gun or helmet or anything).

He looked at me and said hi. I said hi back.

Then he said, "Are you a captain?"

I said, "What?"

He said, "Are you a captain?"

I literally looked down to see what I was wearing, and it was nothing remotely military looking: khaki pants, half-dressy shoes, and a black fleece.

I said, "Like in the army?"

"Yeah."

"No. But why are you asking?"

He shrugged and said, "You just look like a captain."

So...what does a captain look like? Was he just marveling at my natural sense of heroism, along with the leadership I exude? Or are Captains smarmy little losers who get shot in the back the first time they lead their troops out of the trench?

And I'm 46 years old, and constantly reminded that I look older. Aren't captains younger? What does that mean?

If he said, "you look like a general", I could understand that it's probably a compliment, in that I look like I could lead large numbers of men in an invasion of Europe. But what is a captain, and is it good or bad?