Steve Bunting – How a MARSOC Medic & CIA Contractor Survived His Horrific Childhood (Video)

In this 18 December 2025 published video, host Shawn Ryan talks with Steven Bunting, 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.

https://youtu.be/PxxpiFLDZF0

• 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