Next Veterans Day, please don't thank me for my service. Go and do your own. 

As a veteran, I’m baffled by how America seems to have become its own worst enemy. The news is full of items about Americans hating other Americans simply because they’re different, or worse, Americans killing other Americans simply because they can. This is a perversion of what I served to protect and defend, and every single one of us owns a piece of it. 

In this hyper-partisan era, nobody has the guts to admit it when they’re wrong for fear of harsh criticism from friend and foe alike. As a result, the whole country is stuck on wrong. The only way to get it unstuck is one person at a time. 

My challenge to every American is to turn off whatever news source you follow and give yourself an eyeball-to-eyeball look in the mirror. Ask yourself if the life you're living is the best possible version of yourself. If you answer "yes," then maybe you need to take a closer look. There is not a single one among us without room for personal improvement. If we improve ourselves as individuals, then we improve America as a nation. 

Don't thank me for my service. Go and do your own.

Rob Breen

Colchester