• You should, as far as possible, not get into trouble if you are a foreign national because you might end up facing serious discipline. It is not as strict as in the UK but it is still advisable to be cautious.

If you find yourself in a difficult situation try to walk a way. Do not ever hit someone unnecessarily, even if you are hit first. If you defend yourself and the other person gets hurt you might be interviewed by the police or find yourself in more serious trouble.

• Try to avoid drunken crowds because people can be quite disrespectful and discriminatory
• Do not say "Heil Hitler" or ask too much about the Second World War. Germans don't like that much
• Do not talk to people who look like Neo Nazis (no hair, black boots with white shoelaces)
• Don't comment on people's weight gain as some might find this very offensive
• Don't ask a woman her age
• Don't ask someone about their income
• Do not take girls home from the clubs when they are drunk. Signal from girls can be misinterpreted and you might be accused of rape
• Don't say "sorry" all the time as it might be irritating for people if you are always apologising
• As in every other country: just be as pleasant and respectful as you already are

But there are also certain things you should do when in Germany, such as:

• Shake hands when you meet someone for the first time
• Be punctual if you are invited somewhere - Germans are normally very punctual
• Say "excuse me" when necessary
• Try to make friends with people outside the army community
• Smile and be polite and have good manners