Steve Bunting – How a MARSOC Medic & CIA Contractor Survived His Horrific Childhood | SRS #263

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. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join Shawn Ryan Show Links SUBSCRIBE: http://www.youtube.com/@ShawnRyanShow Sign up: https://shawnryanshow.com/pages/newsletter Support the Show: https://www.patreon.com/VigilanceElite Download Free Content: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lF-8_5jwRc5eAhzDkqqCOp-6yvd05vAw?usp=sharing Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=59f9d106e56a4509 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnryanshow Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/@shawnryanshow Follow on X: https://twitter.com/ShawnRyanShow SRS Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4pqo9Uoh0WuUKxw0BmaK1yrg9Kd7E4lk #vigilanceelite #shawnryanshow Steve Bunting Links: Sharp Performance – https://www.sharpperformance.com Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: ⁠https://bubsnaturals.com⁠ – USE CODE SHAWN Go to ⁠https://PatriotMobile.com/SRS or call 972-PATRIOT, and use promo code SRS for a FREE MONTH of service! When you buy gold or silver through https://ShawnLikesGold.com⁠, you’ll get up to 10% FREE SILVER OR GOLD on qualified purchases from my partners over at Goldco. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Connection 01:38 Sharp's Mission and Bunting's Background 09:29 Childhood Trauma, Foster Care & Resilience 23:16 Finding Stability and Experiencing Loss 43:42 Military Inspiration and Enlistment 48:39 Navy Corpsman Training & Recon Pipeline 53:38 Joining Recon & Family Reflections 01:11:28 18 Delta & Deployment Preparations 01:27:05 Recon Missions in Africa & Transition to MARSOC 01:39:45 Afghanistan Deployment & Partner Force Challenges 02:05:47 First Combat Casualty & Medic Duties 02:08:12 Brother’s TBI & Love Story Begins 02:11:58 PTSD, Family Struggles & Free Fall Incident 02:28:10 Civilian Transition & Joining GRS 02:38:45 Burnout, Insomnia & Self-Medication 02:43:18 Resignation & Reconnecting with Family 02:47:59 Psychedelic Therapy & Spiritual Healing 03:24:35 A New Path: Becoming a Therapist 03:30:18 Launching Sharp Performance 03:37:23 Growth, Mission & Final Reflections