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

[spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/2nY27e3Bkv9D9L4QGoPz0D?si=8e36d7ec3bde45ec]

[apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-pararescueman-to-navy-seal-steve-milgazos-mission/id1832731879?i=1000731875041]

[youtube:https://youtu.be/IkvMlE_pyzs?si=GJp7D_Cq6e7auMRC]