Veterans Day is not a slogan. It is a standard. On today’s Next Steps Show, U.S. Army Iraq veteran and Combat News founder Sgt. Mark “Sarge” Mitchell joins Peter Vazquez to cut through the parade music and talk reality: God, Country, Family—and the duty we owe those who raised a right hand.   Sarge traces a soldier’s path from Fort Jackson to Iraq and reminds us that every veteran—combat or not—earned the title. We confront the culture that makes service “uncool,” the red tape that forces veterans to “ask permission” for basic care, and the perverse housing rules that exclude 100% service-connected vets while other programs enjoy guaranteed subsidies. Numbers matter: ~1,180 homeless veterans statewide in New York, ~17 veteran suicides per day, and 15% of earned benefits left unclaimed because no one told them how.   Callers challenge and sharpen the hour: a push to organize veterans’ advocacy with discipline, a retired lieutenant colonel on a society that prizes “for me” over “service before self,” and a reminder that military spouses carry a silent, heroic burden. The answer is not more pageantry. It is policy that works, led by boots-on-ground veterans who know the mission.   Want next steps? Start with peer support, direct access to care, and telling the truth—publicly. Join the weekly open forum on X, Wednesdays at 7 p.m., with @SGTMitchell88 and CombatNews.org. Ceremony is easy. Responsibility is victory.