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Combat Story

AJ Pasciuti

Combat Story is a podcast built on honest conversations with the men and women who lived it.

These are not scripted interviews or highlight reels. They are real accounts from veterans across generations, including infantry, special operations, pilots, JTACs, and more, sharing what it was like to operate in high-stakes environments where decisions carried real consequences.

Each conversation explores the path in, the moments that shaped them in combat, and how they carried those experiences forward into life after service.

The goal isn't just to create content but to provide context, so the stories, decisions, and the people behind them are understood, preserved, and passed on.

Thank you for walking beside us!

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  • 22 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 2 hr 18 min
  • English

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  • Sunday · 2 hr 52 min· Video

    Decode the Afghanistan War Through Maps, Tribes, and Terrain | John Garvin

    "Afghanistan is like the puzzle of puzzles." Army intelligence officer John Garvin spent a deployment in Kandahar unable to explain why the fighting was so bad. Years later, he started solving it on Google Earth, and he brought that map to Combat Story. John served as an Army intelligence officer with the 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, out of Fort Lewis. His brigade trained for Baghdad, sent soldiers to Arabic school, then learned at the National Training Center that the mission had changed to southern Afghanistan. John deployed to Kandahar in 2009, returned to Afghanistan in 2013 and 2014, and left the Army in 2015. By 2017 he was rebuilding the war on a map, layering terrain, ethnic lines, and a timestamped record of roughly 90,000 combat events. In a new format for the show, John briefs AJ the way he once briefed senior leaders, walking through his maps as he talks. He moves from his Stryker brigade's first weeks in the Arghandab to Alexander the Great, the Soviet invasion, the warlords of the 1990s, and the tribal politics that rebuilt the Taliban. He also lays AJ's own Fallujah and Now Zad missions onto the map. Along the way, AJ and John compare Iraq with Afghanistan, and John explains why Afghanistan was a different war. John's maps are on screen throughout this conversation. Watch the full video on YouTube or in the Spotify app. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 04:26 A Stryker Brigade Trained for Iraq Goes to Afghanistan 21:43 First Contact in Kandahar 26:19 Discovering Google Earth on the Secret Network 31:46 Mapping Fallujah 37:16 Afghanistan's Ethnic Map and the Durand Line 47:28 The Arghandab: Orchards, IEDs, and the Stryker's Limits 49:05 Putting Names and Faces on the Map 1:02:00 Why John Keeps Mapping 1:05:34 Alexander the Great and the Geography of Afghanistan 1:11:56 Soviets, Warlords, and the Rise of the Taliban 1:25:00 Pakistan, Partition, and Proxy Forces 1:35:47 Tora Bora, Kunar, and Restrepo 1:49:23 How Tribal Politics Rebuilt the Taliban 2:00:44 Training an Afghan Army in Our Image 2:11:56 AJ Revisits Now Zad on the Map 2:40:33 What Went Wrong, and What Comes Next 2:44:52 "Dad, You Won the War, Right?" 2:54:05 Closing Thoughts Guest Information John Garvin is a former U.S. Army intelligence officer and military historian who served two tours in Afghanistan, in 2009 and 2013 to 2014, with the 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, before leaving the Army in 2015. He now builds detailed maps of wars and the history behind them in Google Earth and ArcGIS Earth, bringing geography, tribal dynamics, and military history together in one picture. Host Information AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans and extraordinary individuals share honest, unfiltered stories of combat, survival, leadership, and life after adversity. Find AJ online: Darkhorse: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/book Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ Sponsors Go to https://truewerk.com/combatstory and use code combatstory to get 15% off your first order. TRUEWERK, Built Like It Matters. Benchmade knives are built to last and designed to work. Shop now at https://benchmade.com #ad Head to https://superpower.com and use code COMBAT at checkout for $50 off your membership. Get 150+ biomarkers tested every year across two tests, plus a personalized health plan and on-demand care team. Detect early signs of 1,000+ conditions. #superpowerpod Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/sf3mmy2l #CashAppPartner Terms apply. Bitcoin services by Block, Inc. See the Bitcoin disclosures at cash.app/legal/podcast.

  • October 12 · 2 hr 8 min· Video

    Inches From a Sniper Round in Syria | Graham Paul Roberts

    Graham Paul Roberts was 15 meters from a building in Syria when a man leaned around the corner. They saw each other and froze. The man stepped back, came out again, and raised his weapon. Graham fired first. Later, in a wood by the Menai Strait, while searching for his son, Graham saw that same man lean around a tree. Graham Paul Roberts, author of Echoes in the Silence, sat down with Combat Story to tell what came before that moment and what came after it. Graham was born in Wales in 1976, six weeks early and weighing two pounds, and doctors told his parents he would not live past 16. He spent 19 years in the Welsh Guards, from sentry duty at Buckingham Palace to patrols in Northern Ireland, instructing at Pirbright and Sandhurst, and a tour in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in 2012. After leaving the Army he worked close protection in Iraq and became project manager for a team of about 100. In 2015 he took a private military contractor job in Syria, mentoring a special battalion of Syrian fighters in the fight against ISIS. In this conversation, Graham takes us through a childhood in a special educational needs unit and the bullying that came with it. He tells the story of a decision in Kenya, when he had a young soldier bury a grenade and a belt of ammunition to protect his company's name, and the rank it cost him. In Syria, he describes living in a mountain bunker, building a replica trench to train his battalion, first contact at 15 meters, a day pinned down in an olive grove, and a sniper's round from roughly 1,000 meters away that tore the rifle from his hand. He explains the moment he accepted he was going to die and the peace that came with it. Then he follows the story home: the nightmares, the drinking, the face he began to see in every room, the loss of his sister and his mother, the point where he planned to end his life, and the day he asked for help. He talks about the diagnosis of complex PTSD, the way he learned to face his memories, the work he does now with children who have special needs, and the book he wrote hoping it reaches the right reader. CHAPTERS 0:00 Cold open and introduction 3:29 Born at two pounds 6:58 Joining the Welsh Guards 16:50 9/11 and Northern Ireland 22:00 Pirbright, covert surveillance, and Sandhurst 34:29 Kenya: burying the ammunition 40:00 Afghanistan and Bastion 47:35 Close protection in Iraq 51:21 The call that led to Syria 1:01:11 Crossing into Syria 1:14:27 First contact at 15 meters 1:21:12 Pinned down and the sniper 1:28:02 The moment he accepted death 1:31:09 Beirut, an IED, and a destroyed town 1:41:48 Fighting ISIS 1:48:52 Coming home 1:53:35 The woods and asking for help 2:00:14 Finding purpose and writing the book 2:05:00 Living with the echoes Find Graham: Echoes in the Silence (US): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/echoes-in-the-silence-graham-paul-roberts/1150973652?ean=9781972688755 Echoes in the Silence (UK): https://www.waterstones.com/book/echoes-in-the-silence/graham-paul-roberts/9781972688748 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roberts0902/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@grahampaulroberts X: https://x.com/robbo76bng Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/graham.roberts0809 AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans and extraordinary individuals share honest, unfiltered stories of combat, survival, leadership, and life after adversity. Find AJ online: Darkhorse: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/Darkhorse Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ If you are a veteran in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 and press 1 (U.S. Veterans Crisis Line). In the UK, call Samaritans at 116 123.

  • September 28 · 6 hr· Video

    The Manhunt for Saddam Hussein | Lt. Col. Steve Russell (Ret.)

    On December 13, 2003, a battalion commander's six-month intelligence hunt ended in a spider hole outside Tikrit, and the man hiding in it was Saddam Hussein. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Russell, U.S. Army (Ret.), led that hunt, and he sat down with Combat Story to tell it from the inside. Steve Russell spent 21 years as an Army infantry officer, with deployments to Kosovo, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In the spring of 2003 he took command of 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, and spent the following months building the intelligence network that led to the raid that found Saddam Hussein hiding on a farm near ad-Dawr. The capture was a combined effort, Russell's soldiers working alongside Task Force 121, and it was Ambassador Paul Bremer who told the world "we got him" the next day. That line became the title of Russell's memoir, We Got Him!: A Memoir of the Hunt and Capture of Saddam Hussein. After retiring in 2006, Russell went on to serve in the Oklahoma State Senate and then the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Oklahoma's 5th district from 2015 to 2019. In this conversation, Steve takes us through becoming an infantry officer, the deployments before Iraq, the grind of a manhunt that ran for months before it produced a break, the night it came together outside Tikrit, and what it was like to watch that moment become a headline and then a book title. We also get into his second act: the jump from battalion commander to state senator to U.S. Congressman, and where his sense of service has taken him since. Guest: Steve Russell is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who served 21 years, deploying to Kosovo, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In 2003 he commanded 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, whose intelligence-driven manhunt near Tikrit led to the raid that found Saddam Hussein. He later served in the Oklahoma State Senate and as the U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's 5th district from 2015 to 2019. He is the author of We Got Him!: A Memoir of the Hunt and Capture of Saddam Hussein, available wherever books are sold. Find Steve online: Book: https://www.amazon.com/We-Got-Him-Capture-Hussein/dp/B0F5RNSBN4/ref=monarch_sidesheet_title Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveRussellOK/ Host: AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans and extraordinary individuals share honest, unfiltered stories of combat, survival, leadership, and life after adversity. Find AJ online: Book: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/Darkhorse Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/

  • September 21 · 50 min· Video

    Reconnaissance Man — Episode 3: Evil Eye

    The Cold War was fought long before the first shots of Vietnam captured America's attention. By 1966, more than 400,000 U.S. troops were committed to the war, Marine Corps Captain James "Jim" Steele among them, on his first trip back to Vietnam since advising South Vietnamese forces in 1961. The war had escalated fast: an August 1964 attack on a U.S. Navy ship in the Gulf of Tonkin, and a second reported attack that later analysis showed never happened, pushed President Lyndon Johnson to commit American combat troops to the fight. This time, Steele was there to fight, and he would need every bit of his reconnaissance training to survive what came next. Episode 3 opens with Steele trading his assigned radio call sign, "Lavender Lace," for one he chose himself: Evil Eye. From there, we follow him through a training exercise in the Philippines that turned into a night spent tied to palm trees waiting for a tsunami that never arrived, and through the hard lessons of a second combat tour: picking up the remains of a Marine after a mine strike, discovering a fellow Marine killed by recoilless rifle backblast, and confining a Marine who fragged a fellow officer to an improvised cell until Division could take him away. The episode also tracks two of the tour's defining threats: a defective batch of M16s that jammed in the field and got Marines killed before the Marine Corps traced the problem to the wrong gunpowder, and a night ambush in which Steele's experience in nighttime combat pistol matches let him take out four infiltrating enemy soldiers by instinct, in the dark, before they reached his position. It builds to late April 1967, when a machine gun round passed through both of Steele's legs, narrowly missing the bone and a main artery. His rifle jammed. He dodged a grenade thrown at him, threw two of his own, and made his own tourniquets while his corporal was killed running to his aid. Wounded and bleeding, Steele talked his own medevac helicopter down to his position by radio. What followed, a mixed-up Red Cross telegram that told his wife Marlene he'd been shot in four places he hadn't been, an experimental surgical technique to save his legs from infection, and Steele altering his own service record to get back to the war before a doctor ever signed off on him, reveals a Marine who had trained himself, by his own account, to feel almost invincible. Reconnaissance Man is more than the story of one Marine. It is the story of reconnaissance itself, told through the career of one of its pioneers. In this episode: The Gulf of Tonkin incident and the road to a 400,000-troop war Getting the call sign "Evil Eye" A near-tsunami during training in the Philippines Toughening up: picking up the pieces after a mine strike Fragging in the ranks and Private Washington The M16's deadly jamming problem in the field Volley grenades, pistol tactics, and calling in fire support A night ambush: taking out four infiltrators with a pistol Wounded: shot through both legs in late April 1967 Losing a corporal, and talking down his own medevac A telegram mix-up and an experimental surgery in Guam Rewriting his own paperwork to get back to the war If you enjoyed Episode 2, Episode 3 follows Steele into the war he'd only advised on before, and the night that nearly ended his life. Chapters: 0:00 The Road Back to Vietnam 4:00 Tied to a Tree: The Philippines Tsunami Scare 6:45 Turning Hard: Picking Up the Pieces of War 10:35 Fragging in the Ranks: Private Washington 13:01 The M16's Deadly Jamming Problem 17:19 Grenades, Mortars, and Calling In Air Support 22:51 Night Ambush: Four VC in the Dark 27:14 Wounded: Shot Through Both Legs 33:15 Talking Down His Own Medevac 36:10 A Telegram and an Experimental Surgery in Guam 45:34 Getting Back to Vietnam Before His Legs Had Healed Created by investigative journalist Ashly McGlone in collaboration with the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation (MRF), and visually brought to life by Combat Story, Reconnaissance Man is a nine-part limited series following Steele's extraordinary 30-year military career through Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond. 🎙️ Guest — James Lyle Steele James Lyle Steele is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel whose 30-year career carried him through Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond. A member of the original generation of Marine reconnaissance men, Steele's story offers a rare firsthand look at war, survival, and service across decades of American military history. Ashly McGlone is an investigative journalist and the creator of Reconnaissance Man. As Steele's granddaughter, she pairs reporting, narration, and historical context with family connection to bring his extraordinary story to life with depth and care. Find Reconnaissance Man and Ashly McGlone Online: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reconnaissanceman/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashlyreports/ X: https://x.com/ReconManPod X: https://x.com/AshlyReports 🎙️ Host — AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans and extraordinary individuals share honest, unfiltered stories of combat, survival, leadership, and life after adversity. Find AJ Online: Book (Darkhorse): https://www.ajpasciuti.com/book Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ 🔔 Watch. Listen. Follow If you value real stories and honest perspectives from those who lived it, follow Combat Story wherever you get your podcasts.

  • September 14 · 2 hr 27 min· Video

    Why the Marine Corps Killed Sniper School | The Four Horsemen

    Four career Marine scout snipers packed into one room, no script, no agenda — and what comes out of it is some of the funniest, most specific war stories you'll hear all year, sitting right next to a dead-serious reckoning with what their own community did to itself. AJ Pasciuti sits down with three of his closest friends from the sniper and reconnaissance world — Mic Skinta, Roland LeBlanc, and Dagan Van Oosten — four storied careers in one conversation. Combined, this is decades in the Marine Corps sniper community: schoolhouses, deployments, instructor duty, and the fight to keep the program alive. As AJ puts it going in: some of it gets serious, most of it doesn't, and it's a solid few hours of the guys doing what they're actually best at. That means this one runs the full range. Stories that only make sense to the four people who lived them — getting "hugged" in the sniper school stalking lanes, a prank war that turned an officers' briefing upside down, a care package of garage-sale He-Man toys that became a running joke on an FOB in Afghanistan for weeks. And then, without ever losing the room's energy, a real conversation about the three-star ultimatum that nearly ended Marine Corps sniper school, why they saved it, why it got cut anyway, and why they see the same pattern playing out with the Corps's scout program today. It closes on the case all four of them actually believe: invest in the person holding the rifle, not just the gear in their hands. Chapters: 0:00 Cold open 1:01 Meet the Four Horsemen 2:26 Pig hugging: sniper school stories begin 29:46 A He-Man care package to Afghanistan 35:28 The BRC prank wars 44:16 The three-star ultimatum that could've killed sniper school 52:09 Rebuilding the course — and winning it back 59:30 What stalking never actually tested 1:06:44 How the sniper community wrote its own ending 1:35:28 Building the Infantry Marine Course 1:39:06 The refrigerator that said everything 1:45:29 Budget, standards, and the Ranger comparison 2:02:09 Today's fight: GRC, ARC, and a fear for recon's future 2:19:18 Invest in the human, not just the gear 2:20:07 Train smarter, not harder 2:28:26 Have we lost yet? 2:31:41 Closing thoughts Guest Information — Dagan Van Oosten Dagan "Hoot" Van Oosten is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Reconnaissance Marine, and former Scout Sniper who deployed to Iraq before spending more than a decade in federal contracting supporting U.S. government operations overseas, including as a contractor for the CIA. Today he's an entrepreneur and co-founder of Nomadic Research, where he also hosts the Nomadic Research Podcast. Find Dagan online: Nomadic Research: https://nomadicresearch.com/ Nomadic Research Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@nomadic-research-podcast Nomadic Research Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomadic_research_podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dagan_van_oosten/ Guest Information — Mic Skinta Mic Skinta enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1995 and spent nearly three decades in the scout sniper community — sniper team leader, platoon sergeant, platoon commander, and instructor at Scout Sniper Instructor School and Scout Sniper School Kaneohe Bay — before being selected for the Marine Gunner Program and commissioning as an Infantry Weapons Officer. He deployed in support of Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Inherent Resolve (Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Kuwait), closing out his career as Regimental Gunner at School of Infantry West before retiring in 2022. His decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Combat Action Ribbon with two stars. He's now Senior Business Development Manager, military division, at Ultimate Training Munitions. Guest Information — Roland LeBlanc Roland LeBlanc served 20 years in the Marine Corps as a Reconnaissance Marine and Scout Sniper, including a stretch with 1st Force Reconnaissance Company as a Point Man and Scout Sniper. During a 2010 deployment to Afghanistan he was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with "V" for valor. He went on to instruct at Recon Training Company and I MEF Special Operations Training Group, serve as a Platoon Sergeant with 2nd Force Reconnaissance Battalion, and work overseas as a senior advisor to Dutch special operations forces, earning the Meritorious Service Medal. He retired as a Master Sergeant in 2026 and is now in outside sales at MATBOCK. Host Information — AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans and extraordinary individuals share honest, unfiltered stories of combat, survival, leadership, and life after adversity. Find AJ online: Darkhorse: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/book Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/

  • August 24 · 3 hr 1 min· Video

    "From the Infantry to Fighting for Allies" | Andrew Sullivan, No One Left Behind Executive Director

    Andrew Sullivan led an Army infantry platoon through two tours in Iraq and commanded a company in Afghanistan — and says his own interpreter carried more risk, and more of the war, than he ever did. Today Andrew runs No One Left Behind, fighting to get America's wartime allies home before it's too late. Andrew commissioned as an infantry officer out of Virginia Military Institute and served over nine years in the U.S. Army, deploying twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan, with a later posting to Latvia as tensions rose with Russia. He led a rifle platoon through a leadership crisis in Iraq's Mesan Province, ran the drawdown at Al Assad Air Base, and commanded a company working alongside the Afghan National Army in Zabul Province — where he grew close with his interpreter, Amodi, and first learned what the Special Immigrant Visa program actually promises the people who serve beside American troops. He's been fighting for that promise ever since: first as legislative director at With Honor Action, now as executive director of No One Left Behind. The conversation covers Andrew's path to service after 9/11, Ranger School and where Army and Marine Corps training genuinely differ, the leadership mistake he says he still hasn't forgiven himself for, two deployments to Iraq — including the unglamorous work of shutting down a forward operating base — and a company command in Afghanistan defined by firefights, IEDs, and a 250-lb bomb that landed in the middle of six Afghan soldiers without detonating. It closes on the work he does now: what the SIV program actually requires, why it's stalled, and what's at stake for the tens of thousands of interpreters and soldiers still waiting on America's word. Learn more or support the mission: Website: Nooneleft.org Donate: https://give.nooneleft.org/CombatStory Guest Information — Andrew Sullivan Andrew Sullivan served over nine years as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer, deploying twice to Iraq and once each to Afghanistan and Latvia. After leaving active duty, he became Executive Director of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit fighting to get Special Immigrant Visas issued to the Afghan and Iraqi interpreters and allies who risked their lives serving alongside U.S. forces. Under his leadership, NOLB has helped drive an approved backlog of more than 30,000 allies forward while operating almost entirely on private funding — the program currently receives $0 in direct government support. Sullivan continues to push for the visas, resettlement support, and follow-through the U.S. promised the people who fought beside it. Find Andrew online: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-sullivan-a2a97755/ NOLB LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-one-left-behind NOLB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoOneLeftBehindUS NOLB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nooneleftbehindus/ NOLB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGYfopN1o2D79z2xsWeyKnA/videos Host Information — AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner) with 21 years of service and multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life and the host and creator of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, combat experience, and life after war. Through Combat Story, AJ's mission is to capture the real moments that shaped warriors—not invented drama, but the specific incidents and choices that define character—and to honor the lineage and lessons of military service. Find AJ online: Book (Darkhorse): https://ajpasciuti.com/darkhorse Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com Instagram: @ajpasciuti Chapters: 0:00 – Cold open 1:52 – Introduction 3:54 – What called him to service, and 9/11 18:49 – Virginia Military Institute 23:16 – Commissioning and infantry training 27:40 – Ranger School 50:04 – First duty station and a last-minute orders swap 58:43 – First Iraq deployment begins 1:00:00 – A platoon's entire leadership gets fired 1:14:00 – The "manifesto" email — and the lesson that followed 1:27:00 – Second Iraq deployment: shutting down Al Assad Air Base 1:36:00 – Coming home 1:44:00 – Afghanistan: company command in Zabul Province 2:08:00 – The JDAM that didn't go off 2:25:00 – Meeting Amodi and what he learned about real sacrifice 2:30:00 – Inside the Special Immigrant Visa program 2:54:00 – How to help No One Left Behind Download Cash App today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/sf3mmy2l #CashAppPartner Terms apply. Bitcoin services by Block, Inc. See the Bitcoin disclosures at cash.app/legal/podcast.

  • August 3 · 2 hr 33 min· Video

    Why a Wounded EOD Gunnery Sergeant Refused to Leave His Team & What Happended After| Timothy Colomer

    Gunnery Sergeant Timothy Colomer was a decorated EOD technician in Iraq when a daisy-chain IED detonated directly beneath his truck. The blast broke his helmet in half. It should have sent him home. Instead, he made a choice that defined his character—he stayed deployed to lead his team. But the war wasn't over when the deployment ended. Back home, Timothy faced something harder than combat: uncontrollable rage, traumatic brain injury, and the struggle to find purpose. Then, unexpectedly, he picked up a paintbrush. In this episode, AJ sits down with Timothy to explore his unlikely journey from bombs to canvas—and how a single painting of a female warrior reconnected a suicidal Marine with her daughter, leading her to therapy, recovery, and reconnection with her family. Timothy shares how his art went viral on cruise ships, how his work will be etched into marble at the Marine Corps EOD Monument at Quantico, and what it means when the tools that kept you alive in war become tools that destroy you in peace. This is a story about transformation, the power of vulnerability, and finding a new way to serve. Guest Information — Timothy Colomer Gunnery Sergeant Timothy Colomer is a retired U.S. Marine EOD Technician who served multiple deployments including one combat deployment in Iraq. On December 11, 2006, he sustained severe blast injuries from a daisy-chain IED that fractured his helmet and caused traumatic brain injury—yet chose to remain deployed to lead his team. After leaving active duty, Colomer transitioned to professional artist, using his work to process trauma and support fellow veterans. His paintings have reconnected suicidal Marines with their families, gone viral globally, and will be permanently etched into marble on the EOD Obelisk at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia (unveiling May 2027). Find Timothy online: Art Portfolio: www.littledogartstudios.com Instagram: @littledogartstudioshouston Host Information — AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner) with 21 years of service and multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life and the host and creator of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, combat experience, and life after war. Through Combat Story, AJ's mission is to capture the real moments that shaped warriors—not invented drama, but the specific incidents and choices that define character—and to honor the lineage and lessons of military service. Find AJ online: Book (Darkhorse): https://ajpasciuti.com/darkhorse Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com Instagram: @ajpasciuti LinkedIn: /angelo-pasciuti Combat Story Podcast: https://combatstory.com

  • July 27 · 3 hr 20 min· Video

    Sniper Alex Lemons: Friendly Fire, the Battle of An Najaf, and the War Still in Veterans' Bodies (Part 2)

    Alex Lemons survived the Battle of An Najaf without a scratch from the enemy — and nearly died from friendly fire instead, when a young Marine mistook him for an insurgent and put six rounds past him from fifteen yards away. This is Part 2 with Alex Lemons, a former Marine Scout Sniper, Iraq War veteran, and co-author of Warbody with environmental historian Joshua Howe. We pick up in Najaf and Fallujah in 2004, follow Alex through two more deployments including a year advising Iraqi and Polish forces under General Petraeus, and then get into why he and Josh wrote the book: the case that concussions, PTSD, and toxic exposure — lead, burn pits, contaminated water at Camp Lejeune — compound on each other in ways the military has never fully accounted for, and what that means for how we treat veterans of every generation who've served since. This one's long, and it's worth sitting with. Especially if you've served, or you're close to someone who has. Subscribe and follow Combat Story wherever you listen. Guest Information — Alexander Lemons Alexander Lemons is a former U.S. Marine Scout Sniper and Bronze Star recipient who served multiple combat deployments during the Iraq War, including Nasiriyah and Fallujah. He is the co-author of War Body: A Marine Sniper and the Hidden Violence of Modern Warfare, a powerful look at the hidden physical and psychological costs of combat and what war leaves behind long after the shooting stops. War Body: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324066330 Featured Article: https://www.hcn.org/issues/57-2/a-veteran-transforms-a-legacy-of-violence-into-a-campaign-for-restoration/ Host Information — AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, and life after combat. Find AJ online: Book (Darkhorse): https://ajpasciuti.com/darkhorse Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ Chapters 0:00 – One round, twelve inches from his face 2:37 – Chasing a flyer into the sniper platoon 13:14 – A guerrilla war nobody upstairs would admit to 17:29 – Sniper school, and the partner he lost before he ever deployed 48:38 – Into the Battle of An Najaf 58:36 – The 1,600-yard shot, and the tank he had to call in 1:12:17 – Losing Sergeant Rochas — then almost losing himself to his own side 1:22:45 – Two stories through a roof: the injury that started the clock 1:26:16 – A second deployment, and leadership that nearly got them killed 1:41:19 – Walking away from the Corps to advise generals in Iraq 1:50:26 – Coming home to a Marine Corps — and a body — that didn't fit anymore 2:00:24 – The anorexia, and the lead he didn't know he was wearing 2:44:37 – Three forces: concussions, PTSD, and toxicants 3:19:47 – "The war is continuing in everybody's body"

  • July 20 · 3 hr 13 min· Video

    946 Days as a Hostage in Iraq | Peter Moore's Only Full Interview

    He thought he was accepting a routine IT contract. Instead, Peter Moore disappeared into captivity for 946 days. In 2007, British IT consultant Peter Moore traveled to Baghdad believing he would be helping rebuild Iraq's Ministry of Finance from the safety of the Green Zone. Days after arriving, he and four British security contractors were kidnapped by an Iranian-backed militia. Peter would spend the next 946 days as a hostage. For more than two and a half years, he endured isolation, psychological torture, repeated mock executions, and the daily uncertainty of whether he would ever see his family again. The four men kidnapped alongside him never made it home. This is Peter Moore's only long-form interview about his captivity. In this extraordinary conversation, Peter shares the full story—from accepting what he thought was a routine overseas contract to surviving one of the longest hostage ordeals of the Iraq War. He reflects on the mindset that carried him through captivity, the routines that kept him alive, the power of hope and humor in the darkest moments, and what it means to rebuild a life after unimaginable trauma. This isn't simply a story about being held hostage. It's a conversation about resilience, perspective, and the extraordinary strength of the human spirit. CHAPTERS 00:00 Peter Realizes He's Been Kidnapped 02:00 Introduction 03:02 Peter Moore's Background 10:14 The IT Contract That Changed Everything 15:11 Why He Accepted a Job in Baghdad 25:52 Arriving in Iraq 32:39 Day One in the Green Zone 40:28 The Kidnapping Begins 53:37 Life as a Hostage 1:06:58 The Mock Execution That Changed Everything 1:15:47 Deciding to Survive 1:27:41 Building Routines to Stay Alive 1:44:26 The Interrogations 1:58:11 Humor as a Survival Tool 2:10:54 Learning the Fate of the Other Hostages 2:24:37 The Day He Was Released 2:39:15 Returning Home After 946 Days 2:46:22 The British Embassy & The First Taste of Freedom 2:52:18 Life After Captivity 3:00:46 Final Reflections on Survival & Resilience Guest — Peter Moore Peter Moore is a British IT consultant who traveled to Iraq in 2007 to support reconstruction efforts following the Iraq War. Just days after arriving in Baghdad, he and four British security contractors were kidnapped by an Iranian-backed militia. Peter spent 946 days in captivity before being released in December 2009, making him one of the longest-held Western civilian hostages of the Iraq War. Today, he speaks about resilience, survival, and the mindset that carried him through one of the most extraordinary hostage experiences of the 21st century. Host — AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans and extraordinary individuals share honest, unfiltered stories of combat, leadership, resilience, and life after adversity. Find AJ Online: Darkhorse: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/book Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ About Combat Story Combat Story is a podcast featuring authentic, long-form conversations with veterans, intelligence professionals, first responders, and remarkable individuals whose experiences offer lessons in leadership, resilience, and service. Every episode goes beyond the headlines to explore the human stories behind extraordinary events. Follow Combat Story wherever you listen to podcasts, and join us every other Sunday for conversations that preserve history, inspire leadership, and remind us what people are truly capable of when everything is on the line.

  • July 14 · 42 min· Video

    Writing Darkhorse, Carrying Combat Story, and What Comes Next | AJ Pasciuti & Ryan Fugit

    What happens after the writing is done and the book has to face the world? Nearly two months after the release of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, the microphone changes hands. Combat Story founder Ryan Fugit returns to interview current host AJ Pasciuti in a candid conversation recorded in New York City just days after the launch of Darkhorse. Together, they reflect on the journey from manuscript to publication, the emotional weight of sharing deeply personal stories, and why the mission has always been bigger than a single book. The conversation explores the lessons behind Darkhorse, the Marines and mentors who shaped AJ's life, the realities of publishing a memoir, and the future of Combat Story as a community dedicated to preserving the stories of those who have served while inspiring leadership, resilience, and service beyond the military. Whether you've been with Combat Story since Ryan hosted the show or recently discovered it through AJ, this special episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes conversation about where Combat Story began, how it has evolved, and where it's headed next. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 02:46 The Fear of Publishing a Memoir 04:46 Arnold Schwarzenegger's Endorsement 07:50 Writing a Memoir Without Sounding Like a Narcissist 10:20 Breaking Into Publishing 12:02 Who Is Darkhorse For? 13:50 Fact-Checked by the Director of the Marine Corps Museum 18:35 Cold Calling the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps 20:20 The Weight of Carrying Combat Story 22:10 The Desert Storm Podumentary 25:36 The Darkhorse Ethos 34:14 Reading the Comments After the Big Podcasts 36:10 The Push Behind Darkhorse 38:22 Ryan's New Podcast: Restricted Handling 40:07 Ryan Reveals His Book AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, and life after combat. Find AJ Online: 📕 Darkhorse: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/book 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ 🌐 Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ Ryan Fugit Ryan Fugit is the founder of Combat Story, a former U.S. Army AH-64 Apache pilot, former CIA Operations Officer, and host of Restricted Handling, where he explores geopolitics, intelligence, and national security with experts from around the world. Find Ryan Online: 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-fugit 🎙️ Restricted Handling: https://www.restrictedhandling.com Follow Combat Story wherever you listen to podcasts, and join us for new episodes every other Sunday.

  • July 6 · 2 hr 17 min· Video

    The Air Assault That Changed Modern Warfare | Frank Hancock on Desert Storm

    What does it take to lead one of the largest air assault operations in military history? Retired Army Colonel Frank Hancock joins Combat Story to share a firsthand account of planning and executing the historic 101st Airborne Division air assault during Operation Desert Storm. From intelligence preparation and mission planning to leadership under fire and the evolution of Army doctrine after Vietnam, Frank provides an inside look at one of America's defining military campaigns. AJ and Frank also discuss mission command, the role of intelligence in combat, how military leaders make decisions in uncertain environments, and why the lessons of Desert Storm continue to shape modern warfare today. Whether you're interested in military history, Army aviation, leadership, or Special Operations, this conversation offers valuable insights from someone who helped lead one of the most significant operations of the Gulf War. In This Episode Frank Hancock's journey into Army Aviation Rebuilding the Army after Vietnam Planning the 101st Airborne's Desert Storm air assault Intelligence failures—and successes—that saved lives Leadership under extreme pressure Mission command and decentralized decision-making Lessons from Desert Storm for today's leaders This episode is part of Combat Story, where veterans and leaders share the experiences that shaped them in combat and beyond. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:34 Frank Hancock's path into Army Aviation 09:42 Learning leadership as a young officer 17:26 Building the 101st Airborne after Vietnam 27:11 Preparing for Operation Desert Shield 38:54 Planning the largest air assault of Desert Storm 52:37 Intelligence that changed the mission 1:05:48 Launching deep into Iraq 1:18:42 Leadership under uncertainty 1:31:57 Mission command and battlefield decision-making 1:44:23 Lessons from Desert Storm that still matter today 1:57:36 Advice for the next generation of leaders 2:05:18 Final thoughts Guest — Frank Hancock Retired U.S. Army intelligence officer, Desert Storm veteran, and author of Operation Desert Storm: How Two Young Intelligence Analysts and an Infantry Battalion Changed the War in Iraq. Frank brings firsthand experience from one of the most successful military campaigns in modern history, offering a rare insider perspective on intelligence, leadership, and warfare. 📘 Operation Desert Storm https://www.amazon.com/dp/1036130437 ✍️ Signed Copies https://www.whistlestopbookshop.com/operation-desert-storm 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579963121498 Host — AJ Pasciuti Retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Marine Gunner, author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of Combat Story. 📕 Darkhorse https://ajpasciuti.com/Darkhorse 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ 🔗 Website https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ Live Better Longer with BUBS Naturals. For A limited time get 20% Off your entire order with code COMBAT at Bubsnaturals.com\combatstory Shopify: The best businesses aren't built in boardrooms. They're built by people who just started. Free trial at shopify.com/combatstory

  • June 29 · 38 min· Video

    Reconnaissance Man EP. 2 - Caribbean Confrontations

    In Episode 2 of Reconnaissance Man, presented in partnership with Combat Story, we follow U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant James "Jim" Steele through two defining Cold War flashpoints: the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Dominican Civil War. After returning from Vietnam and serving at Parris Island, Steele finds himself watching the Cuban Missile Crisis unfold from stateside. Unsatisfied with secondhand reporting and eager to understand what American forces were actually doing at Guantanamo Bay, he carries out an unauthorized mission of his own making, sneaking onto a military transport bound for Cuba during one of the most dangerous moments in modern history. What he finds at Gitmo surprises him. Despite the world standing on the edge of nuclear war, Steele sees defensive preparations that fall far short of what he expected. The experience reinforces one of his lifelong lessons: reconnaissance means seeing for yourself. The episode then follows Steele to the Dominican Republic during Operation Power Pack, where U.S. forces intervened during the Dominican Civil War. There, Steele serves as an aerial observer, helps locate a hidden enemy tank, calls in fires, and reflects on the poverty, instability, and human suffering beneath the larger Cold War struggle. This chapter of Reconnaissance Man is about initiative, risk, Cold War tension, and the instincts of a Marine reconnaissance officer who was never content to stay on the sidelines. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Cuban Missile Crisis Begins 01:44 Introducing James "Jim" Steele 03:01 A Hard-Charging Marine Instructor 07:29 Sneaking into Guantanamo Bay 11:20 Life Inside Gitmo During the Missile Crisis 13:53 What Steele Found Defending Guantanamo 16:52 Cold War Technology and Burst Communications 17:56 The Cuban Missile Crisis Comes to an End 19:43 The Court-Martial That Never Happened 21:40 Operation Power Pack Begins 24:23 Deploying to the Dominican Republic 27:58 Hunting an Enemy Tank from the Air 31:53 The Reality Behind the Headlines 34:17 Fighting Poverty, Not Just Rebels 36:02 How the Dominican Civil War Ended 36:54 Episode 3 Preview: Back to Vietnam Created by investigative journalist Ashly McGlone in collaboration with the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation (MRF), and visually brought to life by Combat Story, Reconnaissance Man is a nine-part limited series following Steele's extraordinary 30-year military career through Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond. 🎙️ Guest — James Lyle Steele James Lyle Steele is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel whose 30-year career carried him through Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond. A member of the original generation of Marine reconnaissance men, Steele's story offers a rare firsthand look at war, survival, and service across decades of American military history. Ashly McGlone is an investigative journalist and the creator of Reconnaissance Man. As Steele's granddaughter, she pairs reporting, narration, and historical context with family connection to bring his extraordinary story to life with depth and care. 🔗 Find Reconnaissance Man and Ashly McGlone Online: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reconnaissanceman/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashlyreports/ ✖️ X (Reconnaissance Man): https://x.com/ReconManPod ✖️ X (Ashly McGlone): https://x.com/AshlyReports 🎙️ Host — AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, and life after combat. 🔗 Find AJ Online: 📕 Darkhorse: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/Darkhorse 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ 📘 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ 🔗 Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ 🔔 Watch. Listen. Follow. If you value real stories and honest perspectives from those who lived it, follow Combat Story wherever you get your podcasts.

  • June 22 · 2 hr 8 min· Video

    James Stejskal: The Secret Green Berets of Cold War Berlin

    *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-698f9566-3328-8323-82a5-d73f4eaafc2b-8" data-turn-id-container= "request-698f9566-3328-8323-82a5-d73f4eaafc2b-8" data-testid= "conversation-turn-72" data-turn="assistant"> Before Delta Force, before the Global War on Terror, and before the Berlin Wall fell, a small group of Green Berets operated inside one of the most dangerous cities on earth. In this episode of Combat Story, AJ Pasciuti sits down with retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4, former Green Beret, former U.S. Foreign Service Political Officer, military historian, and author James Stejskal to explore the little-known story of Special Forces Detachment A Berlin, a classified Cold War unit tasked with operating behind Soviet lines in the event World War III broke out. James shares his journey from Nebraska to the 82nd Airborne, Special Forces selection, and 10th Special Forces Group before pulling back the curtain on life inside divided Berlin. He explains how Green Berets prepared for sabotage missions, resistance operations, intelligence gathering, clandestine identities, and counterterrorism missions while surrounded by Soviet and East German forces. Along the way, we discuss Cold War espionage, unconventional warfare, the evolution of Special Forces after Vietnam, early counterterrorism operations before Delta Force, and the lessons modern operators can learn from a generation that spent decades preparing for a conflict that never came. This is a fascinating look at one of the most secretive units in Special Forces history and the men who stood ready to fight World War III from behind enemy lines. In This Episode: Growing up in Nebraska and joining the Army 82nd Airborne and Special Forces selection Robin Sage and earning the Green Beret 10th Special Forces Group Special Forces Detachment A Berlin Cold War espionage and clandestine operations Sabotage plans against Warsaw Pact targets Counterterrorism before Delta Force Life behind the Berlin Wall Military history, writing, and preserving hidden stories Guest: James Stejskal James Stejskal is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4, former Green Beret, former U.S. Foreign Service Political Officer, military historian, conflict archaeologist, and author of 12 books. He served 23 years in U.S. Army Special Forces and special mission units before continuing his government service overseas. He is the author of Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army's Elite, Masters of Mayhem, and The Snake Eater Chronicles Cold War espionage series. Website: https://www.jamesstejskalauthor.com Host: AJ Pasciuti Retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Marine Gunner, author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of Combat Story. Darkhorse: https://ajpasciuti.com/book Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Meet James Stejskal 05:35 Growing Up in Nebraska 13:42 Becoming a Green Beret 24:10 Life in 10th Special Forces Group 34:22 The Road to Berlin 44:05 Special Forces Detachment A 56:48 Inside Cold War Berlin 1:08:14 Preparing for World War III 1:18:37 Sabotage and Unconventional Warfare 1:28:21 Espionage and Tradecraft 1:39:52 Resistance Networks Behind Enemy Lines 1:49:46 Counterterrorism Before Delta Force 2:00:33 The Soviet Threat 2:10:18 Lessons from the Cold War 2:18:55 From Green Beret to Historian 2:26:48 Preserving Hidden History 2:34:10 Leadership and Service 2:41:30 Final Thoughts

  • June 8 · 1 hr 45 min· Video

    From Army Ranger to The Apprentice Winner | Kelly Perdew

    How does a West Point graduate and Army Ranger go from military service to winning The Apprentice and building one of the most successful veteran-focused venture capital firms in America? In this episode of Combat Story, AJ Pasciuti sits down with Kelly Perdew to discuss leadership, service, entrepreneurship, and the lessons that carried him from the U.S. Army to the national spotlight and beyond. Kelly shares his journey through West Point, Army Intelligence, and Ranger School before discussing the experience of competing on—and ultimately winning—Season 2 of The Apprentice. He reflects on the leadership lessons he learned in uniform, how military experience shaped his approach to business, and why veterans often possess unique advantages as entrepreneurs and leaders. The conversation also explores startup failures, venture capital, the founding of Moonshots Capital, and the importance of backing mission-driven founders who can thrive in uncertain environments. Throughout the discussion, Kelly offers practical insights on leadership, resilience, accountability, and what it takes to build successful teams both inside and outside the military. In this episode, we discuss: West Point and Army leadership development Ranger School and lessons in perseverance Winning The Apprentice Season 2 Transitioning from military service to business Entrepreneurship, startups, and failure Building Moonshots Capital Investing in veteran-led companies Leadership under pressure The value veterans bring to the private sector Creating impact after military service Whether you're a veteran navigating transition, an entrepreneur building a company, or simply interested in leadership and personal growth, Kelly's story offers valuable lessons from both the military and business worlds. Chapters 00:00 Leadership Wins Everywhere 01:12 Meet Kelly Perdew: West Point, Ranger & Apprentice Winner 06:22 Why Military Leadership Translates to Business 12:54 Choosing West Point and the Path to Service 23:23 Ranger School and Learning to Embrace Hardship 29:56 UCLA, Entrepreneurship & Building His First Startup 48:10 Inside The Apprentice: How Kelly Won Season 2 58:39 From Reality TV to Venture Capital 1:05:42 The ID.me Story and Betting on Veteran Founders 1:18:23 Building Moonshots Capital 1:30:29 Why Veterans Make Exceptional Entrepreneurs 1:35:46 Transitioning Out of the Military Successfully 1:41:14 Leadership, Service & Leaving a Legacy 1:45:56 Final Advice for Veterans and Founders 🎙️ Guest — Kelly Perdew West Point graduate, Army Ranger, entrepreneur, author, winner of *The Apprentice* Season 2, and co-founder of Moonshots Capital. Kelly has spent his career leading teams in the military, building and scaling companies, investing in founders, and helping veterans successfully transition into business and entrepreneurship. 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyperdew 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyperdew 𝕏: https://x.com/kperdew 🚀 Moonshots Capital: https://moonshotscapital.com 📘 Book — Take Command: Leadership Principles from the Military to Business: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1596980001 🎙️ Host — AJ Pasciuti Retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Marine Gunner, author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of Combat Story. 📕 Darkhorse: https://ajpasciuti.com/Darkhorse 📸 AJ Pasciuti Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti 🔗 Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com

  • May 25 · 1 hr 48 min

    From Iraq to Firefighter | The Weight of Service

    What happens after the uniform comes off? In this episode of Combat Story, AJ Pasciuti sits down with Army combat veteran, firefighter, MMA fighter, and author James McDevitt for one of the most honest conversations we've had about service, trauma, purpose, and the lifelong search for meaning after war. James shares his journey from growing up in a military family to deploying to Iraq as an 18-year-old convoy gunner during some of the deadliest years of the war. He talks about football, failure, identity, and the difficult transition from combat deployments back into civilian life. The conversation also dives deeply into the emotional realities of firefighting — including the lasting impact of trying to save a young child trapped in a house fire — and the psychological burden first responders and veterans often carry long after the moment ends. AJ and James discuss: What it feels like to make life-or-death decisions at 18 years old The addiction many veterans feel toward combat and high-stakes environments Why being "left out of the fight" can deeply affect soldiers psychologically Brotherhood, love, sacrifice, and why war creates bonds unlike anything else Football, MMA, firefighting, and finding identity after losing purpose PTSD, suicide, vulnerability, masculinity, and the importance of mentorship Why failure often teaches more than success ever can James also discusses his debut novel, A Walk Among Heroes, a story inspired by true events that explores war, love, loss, and what it means to come home after conflict. This episode is raw, reflective, and deeply human. If you're interested in military service, combat psychology, firefighting, leadership, masculinity, veteran transition, or the emotional realities behind war stories, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. 🎙️ Guest — James McDevitt Army combat veteran, firefighter, MMA fighter, and author of A Walk Among Heroes. James writes and speaks about war, brotherhood, trauma, resilience, and the lifelong search for purpose after service. 📸 Instagram: @JamesMcDevittAuthor 🎵 TikTok: @JamesMcDevittAuthor ▶️ YouTube: @JamesMcDevittAuthor 📘 Facebook: @JamesMcDevittAuthor 🔗 Website: JamesMcDevittAuthor.com 🎙️ Host — AJ Pasciuti Retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Marine Gunner, author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of Combat Story. 📕 Darkhorse: https://ajpasciuti.com/Darkhors 📸 AJ Pasciuti Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ 🔗 Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ CHAPTERS 00:00 – The House Fire That Changed Everything 01:06 – Introduction | James McDevitt 03:20 – Why James Wrote "A Walk Among Heroes" 07:40 – Growing Up in a Military Family 13:10 – Football, Identity, and Young Masculinity 18:45 – Joining the Army After 9/11 25:00 – Iraq at 18 Years Old 31:20 – Convoy Combat and Daily Violence 39:50 – Brotherhood in War 47:10 – The Addiction to High-Stakes Environments 54:20 – Coming Home from Combat 1:01:40 – Firefighting and Exposure to Death 1:09:15 – Trying to Save a Child in a House Fire 1:18:20 – PTSD, Suppression, and Emotional Numbness 1:26:30 – MMA Fighting and Finding Purpose 1:34:10 – Veterans, Suicide, and Isolation 1:42:00 – Why Failure Shapes Us 1:49:15 – Writing Fiction Inspired by Real Experience 1:56:30 – Advice for Young Men Considering Service 2:02:10 – Final Thoughts on Brotherhood and Purpose

  • May 11 · 2 hr 6 min

    "We Thought We Were Going to Die Every Night" | Ramadi Veteran Story With Marin Raider Joshua Shores

    Today on Combat Story, we hear the story of Joshua "Josh" Shores — Marine infantry combat veteran, Purple Heart recipient, former Marine Raider, retired firefighter, entrepreneur, and author of Counting on Death: A Marine Infantryman's Journey from the Front Lines of Combat to the Fight for Peace. Josh served with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines during some of the hardest fighting in Ramadi before later deploying to Afghanistan with Marine Special Operations. In this conversation, he takes us through the reality of combat as a 19-year-old Marine, the burden of surviving when others did not, and the long fight to make peace with the memories that followed him home. Although AJ and Josh never served together, this episode becomes a deeply relatable conversation between two Marines who carried similar experiences through different units, deployments, and years of war. There are moments where the interview gives way to recognition, where both men are able to sit inside the same memories, ask harder questions, and give language to parts of combat that are rarely spoken about clearly. This episode goes far beyond firefights and deployments. Josh speaks candidly about the culture inside the infantry during the height of the Iraq War, the emotional toll of losing friends to IEDs, the confusion of counterinsurgency warfare, survivor's guilt, shame, identity, suicide, and the struggle many veterans face trying to reconnect with life after combat. This is a conversation about consequence. About brotherhood. About grief. And about trying to find peace after war. 🎙️ Guest — Joshua "Josh" Shores Marine infantry combat veteran, Purple Heart recipient, former Marine Raider, retired firefighter, entrepreneur, and author of Counting on Death. He served with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in Ramadi before later deploying to Afghanistan with Marine Special Operations. 🔗 Find Joshua Online: 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CountingOnDeath/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuashoresofficial/ 🔗 Website: https://www.countingondeath.com 📕 Book (Counting on Death): https://www.amazon.com/Counting-Death-Marine-Infantrymans-Journey/dp/1636245706/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1#detailBullets_feature_div 🎧 Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Counting-on-Death-Audiobook/B0F1Z1HJSG?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp 🎙️ Host AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, and life after combat. 🔗 Find AJ Online: 📕 Book (Darkhorse): https://www.ajpasciuti.com/book 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ 📘 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ 🔗 Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ 🎧 Featured Combat Story Episodes with AJ 👉 Combat Story Podcast – Part 1 (USMC Sniper & Force Recon) - Battle of Fallujah | Shooting w/ Chris Kyle | American Sniper | AJ Pasciuti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4QI-5sNeCs 👉 Combat Story Podcast – Part 2 (Sniper vs Sniper Battle) - Killing the Enemy's Most Lethal Sniper | Force Recon | AJ Pasciuti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Ggly1TGAU

  • April 27 · 36 min

    He Was in Vietnam Before the War Began | Reconnaissance Man Ep. 1

    Before Vietnam became the war America remembers, James Lyle Steele was already in it. In Episode 1 of Reconnaissance Man, "Good Morning, Vietnam," Steele takes us into the earliest days of America's involvement in the war, when the mission was still forming, the battlefield was still being understood, and the cost was already very real. A retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and one of the original generation of Marine reconnaissance men, Steele describes a brutal and fast-changing fight shaped by booby traps, poisoned bamboo, hidden tunnels, ambushes, helicopter assaults, and constant adaptation. This is not a distant retelling. It is a firsthand account from a man who was there before most Americans even understood the war had begun. Created by investigative journalist Ashly McGlone in collaboration with the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation, and brought to life by Combat Story, Reconnaissance Man is a nine-part limited series following Steele's extraordinary 30-year military career through Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond. 🎙️ Guest — James Lyle Steele James Lyle Steele is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel whose 30-year career carried him through Vietnam, the Cold War, and beyond. A member of the original generation of Marine reconnaissance men, Steele's story offers a rare firsthand look at war, survival, and service across decades of American military history. Ashly McGlone is an investigative journalist and the creator of Reconnaissance Man. As Steele's granddaughter, she pairs reporting, narration, and historical context with family connection to bring his extraordinary story to life with depth and care. 🔗 Find Reconnaissance Man and Ashly McGlone Online: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reconnaissanceman/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashlyreports/ 🔗 X: https://x.com/ReconManPod 🔗 X: https://x.com/AshlyReports 🎙️ Host — AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, and life after combat. 🔗 Find AJ Online: 📕 Book (Darkhorse): https://www.amazon.com/Darkhorse-Harnessing-Hidden-Potential-Life/dp/1400254973 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ 📘 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ 🔗 Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ 🎧 Featured Combat Story Episodes with AJ 👉 Combat Story Podcast — Part 1 (USMC Sniper & Force Recon) Battle of Fallujah | Shooting w/ Chris Kyle | American Sniper | AJ Pasciuti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4QI-5sNeCs 👉 Combat Story Podcast — Part 2 (Sniper vs. Sniper Battle) Killing the Enemy's Most Lethal Sniper | Force Recon | AJ Pasciuti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Ggly1TGAU Chapters: 00:00 Reconnaissance Man Intro 01:42 The Cost of Fighting in Vietnam 02:46 Before Vietnam Became America's War 04:47 Meet James Lyle Steele 06:27 Good Morning, Vietnam 07:37 Learning How the War Was Really Fought 10:56 Tigers, Vipers, and the Terrain 14:41 Poisoned Bamboo and Booby Traps 16:27 The Ho Chi Minh Trail and Tunnel Warfare 21:16 Why the Enemy Was So Hard to Fight 22:03 Hidden Weapons, Firefights, and Guides 23:58 The South Vietnamese Forces He Respected 26:06 Why He Wanted to Stay 26:32 The Train Ambush That Should Have Killed Him 28:26 The First Helicopter Assault of the War 30:21 "General Taylor, Go Home" 31:43 The Helicopter Crash 34:00 What Americans Weren't Being Told 34:40 Next Episode: Cuba 35:37 Credits

  • #233
    April 13 · 2 hr 56 min

    The Secret War Before Iraq | Green Berets, Kurdish Fighters, and the Northern Front

    Before the Iraq War officially began, a different fight was already underway. U.S. Army Special Forces teams were operating in Northern Iraq, linking up with Kurdish fighters and preparing to open a second front against Saddam Hussein. What they built in those early months would shape the opening phase of the war. In this episode, AJ Pasciuti sits down with retired Lieutenant Colonel Mark Grdovic, a Green Beret who led missions alongside Kurdish Peshmerga forces against Al-Qaeda affiliates in the mountains. This conversation follows the full path, from early training and deployments, to the moment everything changed after 9/11, to the long preparation for a mission that had no clear timeline and no guaranteed support. Mark shares what it looked like to plan in uncertainty, build trust with partner forces, and lead small teams in high-risk environments where decisions carried immediate consequences. You'll hear how Special Forces teams executed a 570-mile infiltration into Iraq, fought in complex terrain, and helped create the conditions for the northern front to succeed. He also reflects on leadership, responsibility, and the realities of unconventional warfare that rarely make it into the broader narrative. This is a story about more than combat. It's about trust, preparation, and what it takes to operate in the space between intent and execution. If you're interested in Special Forces, the Iraq War, unconventional warfare, or leadership under pressure, this episode gives you a grounded, firsthand perspective. 🎙️ Guest - Mark Grdovic Mark Grdovic is a former U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret who worked alongside Kurdish fighters in the early days leading into the Iraq War. His story offers a rare look at unconventional warfare, partnership on the ground, and the human side of conflict before the world was watching. 🔗 Find Mark Online: 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-grdovic-pmp-5668b357 📕 Book (Those Who Faced Death): https://thosewhofacedeath.com 🎙️ Host AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, and life after combat. 🔗 Find AJ Online: 📕 Book (Darkhorse): https://www.amazon.com/Darkhorse-Harnessing-Hidden-Potential-Life/dp/1400254973 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ 📘 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ 🔗 Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/

  • March 30 · 3 hr 16 min

    FBI SWAT Sniper: The Shot That Saved His Team | Jeremy Rebmann

    What does it feel like to make a decision that saves your teammates… but stays with you forever? In this episode of Combat Story, AJ sits down with Jeremy Rebmann, former FBI Special Agent, SWAT sniper, and author of Send Me, for a raw conversation about what really happens inside high-risk operations. Jeremy spent over two decades in the FBI, including 21 years on SWAT, operating in some of the most dangerous environments in domestic law enforcement. From hostage rescues to manhunts to split-second lethal force decisions, he lived the responsibility of being the one others rely on when things go wrong. This conversation goes beyond the action. It gets into the moments behind it. From tracking a suspect through rugged terrain… to the instant a rifle comes up and there's no time left to think… to the weight that follows after the mission is over. This is an honest look at the reality of the job. We cover: What FBI SWAT operations actually look like The mindset of a sniper making life-or-death decisions How training takes over when there's no time to think The emotional and psychological impact after a shooting Brotherhood, identity, and what happens when the job ends Jeremy also shares insights into the investigative side of the FBI, where the mission is not just to win the fight, but to find the truth and bring justice the right way. This is a conversation about responsibility, restraint, and the cost of doing the job well. If you've ever wondered what it's really like behind the scenes of elite law enforcement, this episode gives you a perspective few ever hear. 🎙️ Guest Information — Jeremy Rebmann Jeremy Rebmann is a former FBI Special Agent and SWAT sniper with over 20 years of experience, including 21 years on an FBI SWAT team. He served as an operator, sniper, team leader, and instructor, working high-risk missions across the United States. He is the author of Send Me: Chronicles of an FBI Sniper, where he shares an unfiltered look at the realities of the job, team culture, and life after service. 🔗 Find Jeremy Online: 📕 Send Me (Book): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D38DNXRN 🎧 Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Send-Me-Audiobook/B0FVNW5H6B?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fbi_sniper/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556807893533 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-rebmann-aa9191203 🔗 Website: https://www.fbisniper.com 🎙️ Host Information — AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, and life after combat. 🔗 Find AJ Online: 📕 Book (Darkhorse): https://www.amazon.com/Darkhorse-Harnessing-Hidden-Potential-Life/dp/1400254973 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ 📘 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ 🔗 Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ 🎧 Featured Combat Story Episodes with AJ 👉 Combat Story Podcast – Part 1 (USMC Sniper & Force Recon)- Battle of Fallujah | Shooting w/ Chris Kyle | American Sniper | AJ Pasciuti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4QI-5sNeCs 👉 Combat Story Podcast – Part 2 (Sniper vs Sniper Battle) - Killing the Enemy's Most Lethal Sniper | Force Recon | AJ Pasciuti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Ggly1TGAU 📺 Additional Features & Media 👉 Urban Valor Podcast Feature: https://urbanvalor.com/episode/marine-snipers-eliminate-enemy-sniper-reclaim-stolen-us-sniper-rifle/ 👉 DVIDS – Infantry Marine Course Feature: https://www.nationalguard.mil/Leadership/Joint-Staff/Comptroller/Innovation/?dvpTag=imc&videoid=790758

  • #231
    March 16 · 2 hr 4 min

    Marine Scout Sniper Alexander Lemons on Iraq, Hidden Wounds, and the Real Cost of War | Combat Story

    Former U.S. Marine Scout Sniper Alexander Lemons joins AJ to talk about Iraq, the confusion and chaos of the initial invasion, and the hidden damage war leaves behind. A Bronze Star recipient and co-author of War Body: A Marine Sniper and the Hidden Violence of Modern Warfare, Alex brings a raw, thoughtful perspective to combat, leadership, toxic exposure, and life after service. In this episode of Combat Story, AJ and Alex unpack Alex's path into the Marines, what it felt like to enter war as a young infantryman, and how those early experiences shaped the questions that would later become War Body. This is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation, focused on his early life, Iraq, and the foundation of his story. Part 2 goes deeper into his path as a sniper, the long-tail health fight, and what veterans, leaders, and civilians should understand about the unseen costs of modern war. A note for listeners: this episode was filmed in December 2025 and has a slightly different feel than the usual Combat Story format. It plays more like a true conversation between AJ and Alex than a traditional interview, which gives it a more personal and reflective tone. 🎙️ Guest Information — Alexander Lemons Alexander Lemons is a former U.S. Marine Scout Sniper and Bronze Star recipient who served multiple combat deployments during the Iraq War, including Nasiriyah and Fallujah. He is the co-author of War Body: A Marine Sniper and the Hidden Violence of Modern Warfare, a powerful look at the hidden physical and psychological costs of combat and what war leaves behind long after the shooting stops. 📖 War Body: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324066330 📰 Featured Article: https://www.hcn.org/issues/57-2/a-veteran-transforms-a-legacy-of-violence-into-a-campaign-for-restoration/ 🎙️ Host Information — AJ Pasciuti AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, and life after combat. 🔗 Find AJ Online: 📕 Book (Darkhorse): https://www.amazon.com/Darkhorse-Harnessing-Hidden-Potential-Life/dp/1400254973 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/ 📘 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/ 🔗 Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/ 🎧 Featured Combat Story Episodes with AJ 👉 Combat Story Podcast – Part 1 (USMC Sniper & Force Recon) - Battle of Fallujah | Shooting w/ Chris Kyle | American Sniper | AJ Pasciuti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4QI-5sNeCs 👉 Combat Story Podcast – Part 2 (Sniper vs Sniper Battle) - Killing the Enemy's Most Lethal Sniper | Force Recon | AJ Pasciuti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Ggly1TGAU 📺 Additional Features & Media 👉 Urban Valor Podcast Feature: https://urbanvalor.com/episode/marine-snipers-eliminate-enemy-sniper-reclaim-stolen-us-sniper-rifle/ 👉 DVIDS – Infantry Marine Course Feature: https://www.nationalguard.mil/Leadership/Joint-Staff/Comptroller/Innovation/?dvpTag=imc&videoid=790758 Chapters 00:00 Incoming artillery in Iraq 02:40 Introducing Marine Sniper Alexander Lemons 07:15 Joining the Marines after 9/11 18:30 Iraq invasion and early combat experiences 32:40 Lessons from combat leadership 51:00 The hidden physical cost of war 1:20:00 The chaos of modern warfare 2:09:00 War Body and life after the Marine Corps

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