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 ...