#263 Steve Bunting - Inside the World of MARSOC Medics and Real-World Combat Medicine

55 snips

Dec 18, 2025

Steve Bunting, a former U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer and Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman, shares his gripping journey from the front lines of combat medicine to becoming a licensed therapist. He discusses the mental toll of trauma on first responders, his harrowing experiences treating civilian casualties, and a turning point that prompted him to resign from military service. Now leading coaching at Sharp Performance, he emphasizes resilience and healing, utilizing innovative practices like psychedelic therapy to support veterans and their families.

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INSIGHT

PTSD Isn't Only Psychological

Steve warns that labeling everything 'PTSD' misses physiological contributors like low testosterone, sleep, and hormones.
He argues treatment must address body systems, not only psychiatric diagnoses, for better outcomes.

ANECDOTE

Early Childhood Trauma And Its Fallout

Steve Bunting recounts being sexually abused as a child and the immediate medical and foster-care aftermath.
That trauma shaped his dissociation, distrust, and long-term emotional defenses into adulthood.

ANECDOTE

Brother's Combat Injury And Suicide

Steve describes his brother Mitch's severe combat injuries, TBI, lifelong struggle, and eventual suicide in 2017.
Mitch's death deepened Steve's grief and influenced his later mental-health work and motivations.

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Steven Bunting is a former U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer and Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman (SARC) / Special Operations Independent Duty Corpsman who spent over a decade embedded with Marine Recon and MARSOC Raiders. He delivered advanced trauma care and operational support on the front lines of combat, direct-action raids, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, and Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) missions worldwide.

After leaving active duty, Steven continued high-threat work as a Global Response Staff (GRS) contractor, providing protective security, tactical support, and emergency medical expertise to U.S. government personnel in some of the world’s most dangerous and volatile regions.

Transitioning from the battlefield to the cutting edge of mental health and human performance, Steven became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He has worked in addiction treatment, community mental health, neuropsychiatric research, and psychedelic-assisted therapy with leading organizations including The Mission Within, Heroic Hearts Project, Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute, and MAPS.

Today, as Head of Coaching at Sharp Performance, Steven leads a national team that delivers elite performance coaching and resilience training to first responders, military veterans, and high-risk professionals. Drawing on special operations leadership, clinical expertise, and performance psychology, he helps America’s protectors heal from the cost of service, rebuild identity, and reach their highest potential.

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Steve Bunting Links:

Sharp Performance – https://www.sharpperformance.com

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