Couture, who served in the Army\u2019s 101st Airborne Division<\/a> from 1982 to 1988, said that fighting for his country helped pave the road for his future accomplishments.<\/p>\n \u201cI think in many ways it set me up for success down the road after service, and led me to my college career in wrestling \u2014 (I) wrestled for the national team, fighting in mixed martial arts, all of those things kind of grew out of that competitive spirit that I developed in the Army,\u201d Couture said on Monday.<\/p>\n He said it is an honor to help lead the parade because of what the military has taught him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou learn to pay attention to detail. You learn that you\u2019re going to get out of it exactly what you put into it, which is certainly life in a nutshell,\u201d Couture said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a switch. Once you take that oath and get indoctrinated into that mindset, you look at the world a particular way because of that experience, and it\u2019s certainly been that way for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Couture sits on the board of directors for Merging Vets and Players<\/a> (MVP), an organization that helps reconnect combat veterans to their veteran community. Members of the organization will be joining Couture during the parade on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Couture joked that he won\u2019t be on a float for the parade. Instead, he\u2019ll be in a red, white and blue-draped Corvette.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been practicing my parade wave and hopefully stay in the car and don\u2019t fall out,\u201d the UFC Hall of Famer said.<\/p>\n The Phoenix Veterans Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. It will start at Central Avenue and Montbello Drive and end at Seventh Street and Indian School Road.<\/p>\n For more details, including the full parade route and a list of road closures, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n We want to hear from you.<\/p>\n Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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