Impact Champion Steve Maclin Looks Back On His Time In The US Marine Corps

Reflecting on his service with the US Marine Corps in an interview with Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, Impact World Champion Steve Maclin said he misses the camaraderie of barracks life, but added that sharing a ring and locker room with his fellow wrestlers offers a similar connection.

"I miss it every day. It's a weird feeling. Me and my buddies always text and talk like, 'Today I miss Afghanistan,'" he said. "You live every day together and you do the grind, and 'embracing the suck,' as they say, of just going through that grind day in and day out. And it's the same in wrestling."

One difference between his time in the military and his time in wrestling is that he's able to "live in the moment" more now, and appreciate being in the ring or hanging out backstage with his peers. That's important, because "you never know when it's over," he said.

Maclin served as an infantryman in the Second Battalion, Eight Marine Regiment from 2007 to 2011, including two deployments to Afghanistan. His military experience also factored into his decision to pursue an education in mental health and psychology, a process he began after his release from WWE.

"I really wanted to focus on that just because of dealing with buddies and myself with PTSD," he explained. "And when I was let go from my former company, I was like alright, what can I do outside of wrestling that would benefit me but also benefit others, that I could make a living in?"

Maclin explained that he mostly encountered civilian counselors when he looked for services through the Veterans Affairs Department. As a veteran of combat service, he said he feels he could offer a shared perspective as a counselor to other military servicemen and women.