Maj. Rob Campbell's post active-duty Air Force career had all the makings of an ideal situation for a C-17 Globemaster III pilot.

He was flying 737s for a private aviation company headquartered in Las Vegas - doing something he'd loved ever since he was a child growing up just miles from the airport in Detroit.

But after only six months on the job, commuting between Seattle and Las Vegas every weekend started to take a toll on him and his family. So, in November 2010, Campbell, a Reserve pilot with the 97th Airlift Squadron at McChord Field, resigned his position to take on a new challenge.

While previously stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. on an assignment to help get the Predator Drone program on its feet, Campbell started following the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was something that stuck with him throughout his time at McChord, and when life presented an opportunity, Campbell and four friends - who all serve in the military - decided it was time to take their passion to the next level.

The group started Total Force Impact, an MMA apparel company.

"There is a lot of motivation there to make it work," said Campbell, who admits he was a bit nervous of the career change at first.

But the move to start a company wasn't forged overnight. The group did its homework, querying family, friends and professionals in the legal and business sectors to help them plan each move.

"We're leveraging a lot of the talent around us," said the 36-year-old Campbell, a Fife resident.

Campbell is the company's chief operations officer, and Total Force Impact sponsors Howie Schmidt, an amateur fighter who is also an aircraft maintainer for the Nevada Air National Guard.

"Howie is an incredible guy," Campbell said. "He's the face of the company."

The Reserve pilot and his co-owners have been going full throttle to slowly build the company since starting it last year. TFI recently started a partnership with the Joint Base Lewis-McChord combatives team to supply team members with shirts, sweat suits and other gear as they get ready for an upcoming tournament at the base. Campbell has also been working with the Wounded Warrior Project to start another partnership.

Although Campbell and his partners are focused on making an impact in the mixed martial arts apparel marketplace, the company is also set on giving back to local nonprofits, pledging 10 percent of what it makes from every T-shirt to a selected charity each month.

"There is an element of self gain for us (in building the company), but we're set on giving back, too," he said.

Campbell's long-term vision for the company is to one day see its apparel on fighters from military and first responder backgrounds, supported by military members who are fans of the sport.

"We want to be able to see our brand on service-oriented guys," Campbell said. "How cool would that be? This is the first MMA apparel company owned by all military members. It's never been done."

For more information on Total Force Imact, visit them at totalforceimpact.com and their Facebook page at facebook.com/TFIteam.