Steve Milgazo spent nearly 30 years in two branches of the U.S. military. He began as an Air Force Pararescueman (PJ) and later became a Navy SEAL. He chased purpose, leadership, and combat across two elite communities, but the cumulative toll eventually followed him home.

In this episode, Steven Bunting traces that journey with him: why he left one special operations pipeline to start over in another, how 9/11 reshaped his trajectory, and what it was like to seek conflict. Milgazo also talks openly about the years after service, including burnout, divorce, identity collapse, and the moment he nearly took his life.

He explains how he approached recovery like a mission, rebuilding his mental and physical health from the ground up, and how that work led him to coaching. Now at Sharp Performance, he serves high-risk professionals who are still in the arena, helping them extend their impact beyond the uniform.

01:10 Going from the Air Force to the Navy 05:03 Steve’s Early Life Inspiration

08:40 Choosing the Air Force

11:33 From Cocoa Beach to BUD/S 14:28 Starting Over at 27

17:38 Going to SEAL Team 2 22:01 Waiting for War in the Wake of 9/11

24:55 Learning to Manage Expectations 27:04 Burning Out and Thinking About Retirement

31:28 Retiring and Going Through Divorce at the Same Time

35:37 Going Back to School

37:11 Hitting Rock Bottom 39:02 Going All-in on Healing

41:03 Becoming a Sharp Performance Coach

44:16 Healing is for Everyone

45:28 It’s Never the Wrong Time to Try Coaching

Justin Crocker spent two decades in the U.S. Army, starting in the infantry as a paratrooper before commissioning as an officer and completing Special Forces selection. He deployed to Iraq during the surge as a platoon leader and later commanded a Special Forces detachment in Afghanistan.

In this episode, he walks through the lessons learned across Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. He explains what combat really teaches about leadership, trust, and the cost of constant performance. He also breaks down why the best units run on decentralized decision-making and why paying attention to your people is more important than tactics.

Justin also opens up about the invisible toll of service. He talks about the strain on marriages, the disconnect of coming home, and the loss of purpose that hits when the mission ends. He lays out parallels between the military transition experience and the burnout spiral he sees in both law enforcement and the fire service.

Now serving as Head of Talent at Sharp Performance, Justin is fighting a new battle. His focus is on ensuring first responders and high-stress professionals do not wait until a crisis to get support. His message is direct: purpose must be protected, and no one earns longevity by grinding themselves into the ground.

00:00 Introduction

03:04 Where Justin Was on 9/11

06:37 Military Service as a Family Inheritance

08:59 Early Lessons as a Paratrooper

13:31 Leading Through the Baghdad Surge

20:20 Risking It All to Join Special Forces

27:38 Earning the Green Beret

32:16 Loss, Family Strain, and the Cost of Service

36:51 How First Responders Struggle to Switch Off at Home

42:15 Why So Many Retire and Decline Quickly

47:19 Choosing Purpose Again at Sharp

52:45 Overtime, Burnout, and the Loss of Mission

Former Navy SEAL and firefighter paramedic Guy McDermott shares his unfiltered story of service, struggle, and redemption. Over the course of 24 years in the Navy, he experienced unbreakable brotherhood and the physical toll of training, including surviving BUD/S with pneumonia and fractured ribs.

When his military career ended, Guy faced the painful loss of identity that so many warriors encounter. He became a firefighter and paramedic, stepping into homes not with a weapon but with the tools to save lives. Yet even in the fire service, silence and stigma followed him. A critical call in October 2019 caused him to freeze, and he carried that shame home.

In this powerful conversation with host Max Bush, Guy reflects on losing friends to suicide, battling shame, and finding his way back through daily practices that rebuilt his sense of self. He explains how relentless coaching saved lives, why protecting your energy matters, and how warriors can bring each other home.

Chapters

00:00 Intro – Meet Guy McDermott

01:00 24 Years in the Navy

02:10 Growing Up in an Unsafe Household

06:08 Choosing the Warrior Path

09:43 Hell Week with Pneumonia

11:55 What SEAL Brotherhood Really Means

15:16 Becoming a Firefighter - Saving Lives vs Taking Lives

24:22 Withholding the Truth

25:12 Suffering Through the Loss of a Friend

26:27 The Breaking Point

32:37 Exploring the Wellness Process

38:08 Relentless Coaching and Accountability

40:52 Guy’s Coaching Style

42:21 Preparing Police and Fire Chiefs for Retirement

50:08 Advice for First Responders