But since Dan Tamang became a security guard in Bristol 18 months ago, he has been the victim of racist abuse on seven separate occasions.
The 45-year-old has been assaulted, harassed and insulted by adults and children at Kings Chase Shopping Centre in Kingswood.
Mr Tamang was based in Chatham, Kent, and served with the British Army in the Falklands, Kenya, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand and France.
But this has not translated into respect and the abuse hurled at Mr Tamang has often been coated in ignorance, with boys and girls as young as 12 shouting the slur "Chinky" and others telling him to "go home".
"In my country, the children must respect the adults," he told the Evening Post. Last September, the married father-of-two was helping a woman who had problems with her car park ticket, when a stranger started causing problems.
He said: "He came towards me and he blocked my road. He said 'you go back to your country'.
"I tried to get past him and he said 'no, you're going nowhere', and he started pushing me.
"What was I supposed to do? So I called the police." The 56-year-old culprit was arrested, convicted of battery and ordered to pay compensation.
In fact, thanks to South Gloucestershire's Partnership Against Hate Crime (PAHC) and the support of his employers, all of the culprits have been tracked down and punished.
Nepalese Mr Tamang said: "When this happens I feel angry, but I'm happy with the support I get from my work and the police."
Mr Tamang added: "I enjoy my job very much and I just want to get on with my life. I would encourage people to call the police if they are abused like this. I have found the help really good."
THE tough Nepalese fighters who make up the Brigade of Gurkhas have a long history of loyalty to the British Army.
The Brigade of Gurkhas is one of the most decorated British Army regiments and 13 of its soldiers have been awarded the Victoria Cross.
● The Gurkha motto is "Better to die than be a coward".
● More than 250,000 people signed a petition handed to Downing Street in November last year calling for better treatment of veterans and their families.
● Indian-born actress Joanna Lumley has been an active supporter of the campaign. Her father served for 30 years with the 6th Gurkha Rifles and was a Chindit in Burma.
● Philanthropist millionaire and former owner of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, Sir Jack Hayward has donated £20,000 to the Gurkha Justice campaign. As a RAF flight lieutenant in World War II, he flew Gurkhas into battle in Burma.
● The Nepalese fighters still carry into battle their traditional weapon – an 18-inch curved knife known as the kukri.
● It was said that if a kukri was drawn in battle it had to "taste blood" before returning it to its sheath. But now it is mainly used for cooking.
● The British first recruited the Nepalese after suffering heavy casualties in the invasion of the country. They noted the toughness of the troops fighting against them and the British East India Company signed a peace deal, which also allowed it to recruit from the Nepalese army's ranks.
● Following the partition of India in 1947, four Gurkha regiments from the Indian army were transferred to the British Army. They became today's Gurkha Brigade.
● The selection procedure for the regiment requires would-be recruits to run uphill for 40 minutes carrying a basket filled with 70lb (32kg) of rocks.
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