#263 Steve Bunting - Inside the World of MARSOC Medics and Real-World Combat Medicine - Shawn Ryan Show Recap

Podcast: Shawn Ryan Show

Published: 2025-12-18

Duration: 4 hr 10 min

Guests: Steve Bunting

Summary

Steve Bunting's journey from Navy Corpsman to MARSOC medic and his transition into mental health and resilience coaching is explored. He discusses the challenges of combat medicine, personal trauma, and the importance of addressing physiological factors in PTSD treatment.

What Happened

Steve Bunting, a former Navy Chief Petty Officer, shares his experiences as a Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman (SARC) with MARSOC during the Global War on Terrorism. He recounts the rigorous training pipeline, including the Basic Reconnaissance Course, and the high standards required for special operations. Bunting reflects on his personal and professional challenges, including dealing with PTSD and imposter syndrome, and the impact of his military service on his family life.

Bunting's first deployment involved counter-piracy operations near Somalia, and later, he was stationed in Afghanistan at the strategic Kajaki Dam. He describes the complexities of working with Afghan partner forces and the stresses of bureaucratic constraints and operational challenges. A significant medical experience during this deployment was performing a cricothyroidotomy on a partner force member.

After leaving active duty, Bunting transitioned to work as a Global Response Staff contractor for the CIA, where high-pressure environments and cultural differences among teams added to his stress. He faced insomnia and emotional numbness, which led him to explore meditation and kratom as coping mechanisms. A poignant moment occurred when he witnessed a mother and child fishing for food, prompting him to resign and reevaluate his career priorities.

Bunting's personal life was marked by trauma, including childhood abuse, his father's suicide, and his brother's struggles with TBI and eventual suicide. These experiences fueled his commitment to mental health and healing, leading him to engage in psychedelic therapy with substances like ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT. These sessions helped him confront and forgive his past traumas, resulting in significant personal healing and a changed relationship with alcohol.

As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Bunting works with organizations like The Mission Within and Heroic Hearts Project, focusing on psychedelic-assisted therapy for veterans. He emphasizes the importance of integration after psychedelic experiences and the need for ongoing work beyond the therapy sessions. He also notes the dangers of overindulgence in psychedelics among special ops personnel, advocating for a balanced approach.

Currently, as Head of Coaching at Sharp Performance, Bunting leads a team providing elite performance coaching to first responders and military veterans. The program incorporates the concept of 'Operator Syndrome', addressing physiological factors like testosterone levels and sleep alongside mental health. Sharp Performance aims to support high-stress professions and their families, building a community of resilience and purpose.

Key Insights