In talking with several veterans over the last few days, I am reminded that many of the problems that are being highlighted in society today were not as present during our time in the military. I took some time to think this through and I would like to share my thoughts with whomever would care to read.

A wide variety of people join the military. Every race, religion, gender, sexuality, economic, and education group is represented in the five branches of the US military. Every person has to start off the same way: your head is shaved (if you are a male), your face is shaved (regardless if you need it), and you are given an identical uniform. You are all told the expectations and the mission. It is the same for everyone. You are mentally and physically broken down and then built back up to function in a cohesive unit. This is just the beginning of your time in service.

As you continue on, you are rewarded with rank, responsibility, and hopefully respect. That rank and responsibility should be the only things that separate you from the person in uniform on any side of you. Sure, there will be differences in how a mission should be accomplished and yes you are still allowed to have your own individual likes and dislikes, but the mission and purpose are the same for everyone. At least they should be.

I think part of the problem today is that our society as a whole has lost its shared mission or sense of purpose. Our ancestors have fought so hard to give the next generation something better to look forward to that you no longer need the naked eye to see an issue; you now need a microscope and instead of using a scalpel to correct the issue, a sledge hammer is being selected.

In the military, success is achieved because of similarities, not differences. We have more in common with a stranger than we don't. I stared at this photo on the eve of the anniversary of D-Day for a good while just thinking of what was going through the minds of these men, about to do something that had never before been done in the history of the world. Do you think they sat there wondering if the person next to them was the same race or worshiped the same God? It is more likely that they were reflecting inward and praying that the person next to them was trained and confident in the shared mission. This mission happened to be part of the larger mission which was to stop fascism and the oppression of a group of people.

I never did anything as brave as these men and I don't think I ever will. I do, however, my best to look at the similarities I have with others rather than the differences. Anyone who has spent five minutes with me knows that I want to talk for an hour and the conversations never stay on the same topic. I have talked with random strangers about cars, religion, politics, parenting, and life, never claiming to be an expert on any of those topics. Why do I do this? I don't do this in hopes that I teach someone a lesson but in hopes that I learn something. The more I learn, the more I have in common with others.

This country wasn't founded because we knew we were the best. It was founded because we wanted the chance to become better. Always strive to be a better person that what you were yesterday.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union..."