Who in the WWE was in the military?

Over the years WWE has had an excellent relationship with the United States Armed Forces. WWE CEO (and owner) Vince McMahon is an outspoken supporter of the military. In fact, every year the company holds its annual Tribute to the Troops, in an effort to show appreciation for the fighting men and women who serve.

WWE has also employed several veterans, many of whom have gone on to have outstanding careers with the organization. To further illustrate this point, it’s time to take a look at some high-profile wrestlers who were in the military.

Updated on August 10, 2021, by Shawn S. Lealos: WWE has continued to push its connection with the military, including adding several instances of promoting the soldiers and veterans into storylines that emphasize their military careers. While some wrestlers, such as Lacey Evans, tried to focus on a character outside of her military experience, others, including Jackson Ryker, brought the personality directly into their WWE personas. This has been true throughout the years, from Sgt. Slaughter using every ounce of military experience in his gimmick to Bobby Lashley, who you might only know he served if listening to out-of-character interviews. Despite the differences, these men and women mostly served their countries with honor.

15/15 * Montez Ford

It might seem hard to believe from a character with a gimmick like Montez Ford, but he was a former member of the U.S. military. In WWE, he is part of the Street Profits, using catchphrases like "we want the smoke" and bringing out red drink cups when they enter the arena for their matches.

Before his WWE career, Montez Ford was part of his high school's JROTC program and when he graduated, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Ford served his country from 2008 to 2012. His job included handling Defense Travel System plans for his battalion.

14/15 * Corporal Kirchner

Corporal Kirchner was another WWE superstar who had his gimmick include plenty of references to his military career. Kirshner worked in WWE in the '80s and worked originally as RT Reynolds until 1986 when he took on the military persona of Corporal Kirchner.

Kirchner ended up winning a Flag Match against Nikolai Volkoff at WrestleMania 2. Corporal Kirchner was a paratrooper with the elite 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He never went into battle before leaving the military and joining WWE.

13/15 * Jaxson Ryker

Jaxson Ryker originally made his name in TNA, where he worked as Gunner and was part of Immortal, winning the TV title and tag team title before leaving for WWE NXT. In NXT, he ended up forming The Forgotten Sons faction, with the gimmick as former military veterans whose country turned its back on them.

Some controversy caused WWE to drop the gimmick, but Ryker returned in 2021 as a lackey for Elias before moving back into singles action and relying on his military past again. Before his wrestling career, Ryker served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a machine gunner during the war in Iraq.

12/15 * Steven Cutler

Steven Cutler started his in-ring career with WWE in the NXT brand. He worked a lot with a young Baron Corbin, losing almost every time before he got a chance to shine as the Forgotten Sons in 2018 with Wesley Blake and Jackson Ryker.

The Forgotten Sons' gimmick was that they were veterans who came back home and society overlooked them. Cutler brought experience to the gimmick, as he served as a Machine Gunner/0331 Infantry with Second Battalion 8th Marines Weapons Company. He enlisted from 2007 to 2011 and did two tours of Afghanistan.

11/15 * Zeb Colter

Zeb Colter worked as a territories star named Dirty Dutch Mantel before he came to WWE and served as a manager for men like Cesaro and Jack Swagger. However, before he showed up in professional wrestling, Colter was a member of the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division.

10 Terrible Wrestling Names These WCW Stars Had To Endure

Colter is a Vietnam War veteran. Colter served in Vietnam for a year before he came back home and started his wrestling career. While most of his career was as a rough Southern brawler, WWE used his military experience as part of his gimmick with the Real Americans.

10/15 Lacey Evans

Lacey Evans has only been wrestling since 2014 and is already headlining pay-per-views. WWE’s “sassy Southern belle" was recently involved in a storyline with Becky Lynch – one of WWE’s top stars. The 29-year-old Georgia native is an intimidating presence in the ring and is known for her deadly right hand.

At 19 years of age, Evans joined the United States Marine Corp. The 5-foot-8 WWE star was a military police officer who served for 5 years. It was during this time that she discovered pro wrestling. A fellow marine, who was a promoter on the side, booked her in a match on an indy show and the rest is history.

9/15 Perry Saturn

Perry Saturn is one of only a handful of wrestlers who have had success in the original ECW, WCW, and WWE. He is probably best remembered as a member of Raven’s Flock in WCW and for his storyline in WWE where he fell in love with a mop named Moppy.

There is no question that the 52-year-old Cleveland, Ohio product is a legit tough guy. When he was just 17, Saturn enlisted in the United States Army and went on to attend (and graduate from) U.S. Army Ranger School. For those unfamiliar, the school is essentially 61-days of intense leadership training.

8/15 Randy Orton

Knoxville, Tennessee’s Randy Orton began his wrestling journey back in 2000. Since that time, he was gone on the become one of professional wrestling’s biggest attractions. The 39-year-old has held a version of the WWE World Championship an impressive 13 times and counting. The third-generation pro has also headlined several pay-per-view events throughout the course of what's sure to be a Hall of Fame career.

After high school, Orton enlisted in the United States Marine Corp. However, the former WWE champ had a rough go of it in the military. He had a couple of unauthorized absences (UA) on his record and disobeyed an order. His conduct eventually led to his premature dismissal.

7/15 Freddie Blassie

The late, great Freddie Blassie had a successful career as both a wrestler and a manager. The WWE Hall of Famer out of St. Louis, Missouri began his wrestling career all the way back in 1952. As a wrestler, “The Hollywood Fashion Plate” captured the prestigious NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.

However, most fans today remember him as a  WWE (then WWF) manager in the 1980s – representing stars like The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. Blassie served in the Navy during World War II. He would eventually earn the rank of Petty Officer Second Class and spent over three years in the Pacific Theater.

6/15 Kevin Nash

At 6-foot-10, Detroit, Michigan’s Kevin Nash was one of wrestling's biggest stars in the 1990s – both literally and figuratively. The now 60-year-old originally got his big break in WWE using the ring name Diesel. As Diesel, Nash was even able to capture the WWE (then WWF) Championship.

He would later sign with WCW and become a founding member of the New World Order (NWO) – one of the most successful factions of all time. Before the big man became wrestling royalty, he served in the 202nd Military Police Company. Nash had some success during his enlistment and worked his way up to the rank of specialist.

5/15 Konnan

Konnan is a professional wrestler who was born in Santiago de Cuba. In the early-90s he wrestled for WWE under the ring name Max Moon. He had little success during his stint with World Wrestling Entertainment, but went on to make a name for himself in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was an even bigger star in Mexico.

These days, the 55-year-old works for Major League Wrestling and appeared in 2021 for AEW. The wrestling star ran into some legal trouble in his youth and was forced to choose between either the military or prison. He opted to join the United States Navy and even served on one of the ships that were bombed in Beruit, back in 1983.

4/15 Bobbly Lashley

Bobby Lashley has had success as both a professional wrestler and a mixed martial artist. The powerhouse out of Junction City, Kansas has had plenty of good fortune during his stints with WWE. He is a two-time ECW World Champion (after WWE bought the company), a former United States Champion, and a two-time Intercontinental Champ as well. He finally won the WWE Championship in 2021.

RELATED: Every Version Of Bobby Lashley, Ranked From Worst To Best

The 43-year-old WWE star comes from a military background. His father was a former US Army Drill Sergeant. Lashley would follow in his dad's footsteps and enlist in the army. During his tour, he even won a gold medal in freestyle (amateur) wrestling at an event hosted by the International Military Sports Council.

3/15 Sgt. Slaughter

Sgt. Slaughter is a wrestling star who rose to prominence in the 1980s. He was known for coming to the ring in his military fatigues and finishing his opponents with his signature move, the Cobra Clutch. Later in his career, as part of a WWE storyline, he became an Iraqi sympathizer who defeated The Ultimate Warrior for the WWE World Championship.

Slaughter was also a member of G.I. Joe, having appeared in both the comic book and cartoon. Yes, Slaughter’s military credentials were legit. Prior to chasing WWE gold, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps and served as a drill Sergeant.

2/15 Road Dogg

The “Road Dogg” Jesse James is a Hall of Famer who rose to prominence during WWE’s Attitude Era. He began his run with the company back in 1994, managing Jeff Jarrett. He would go on to become a star in his own right after teaming up with Billy Gunn and forming The New Age Outlaws.

The Outlaws would join the legendary stable D-Generation X and capture the WWE World Tag Team Championship 6 times. Back in 1986, James decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corp. He had already begun wrestling at the time but decided to put his in-ring career on hold.

1/15 Jesse Ventura

Jessie “The Body” Ventura is a retired pro wrestler out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. While he had a noteworthy career as an in-ring competitor, he is arguably best to remember for his work as a commentator for WWE in the 1980s. Venuta would later enter the world of politics and become the governor of his home state, Minnesota.

Ventura was a member of the United States Navy from 1969 to 1975. During that period he served as a member of the Underwater Demolition Team. He was in the service during the Vietnam War but never saw combat during the conflict.

NEXT: 5 Wrestling Couples That Were Really Married (And 5 That Weren’t)