Combat Story

AJ Pasciuti

Real combat stories from the military's elite. This podcast highlights the courageous, outrageous, crazy, and surreal experiences veterans recall from their toughest days in the foxhole, cockpit, and front lines. We interview JTACs, Special Operators (Delta), Special Forces, Jet Pilots, Combat Aviators, Infrantrymen, Marines, and vets from over 50 years of combat experience.Interviews touch on the toughest missions these vets faced, how they handled them, their first combat experiences, how they found their way to the military, and how they managed after leaving the combat behind.

  1. The CH-53 Mission to Recover a Downed Night Stalker Helicopter | Ret. Lt. Col Isaac G. Lee

    1 DAY AGO

    The CH-53 Mission to Recover a Downed Night Stalker Helicopter | Ret. Lt. Col Isaac G. Lee

    A downed U.S. helicopter in Afghanistan. Forty-five knot crosswinds. No power margin. In this episode of Combat Story, AJ Pasciuti sits down with Isaac G. Lee, a retired U.S. Marine Corps CH-53 heavy lift pilot with seven deployments and multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Isaac flew more than 140 named combat missions, became a Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI), commanded a Marine helicopter squadron, and led one of the most dangerous recovery missions of the war — lifting a downed Night Stalker aircraft near the Pakistani border with almost no margin for error. We talk about: Flying CH-53s during the Iraq invasion Losing an engine in a hot landing zone Brownout landings with zero visibility Working alongside Army Apaches and special operations units The surge years and nonstop named operations The mental shift required to survive repeated combat deployments The cost of leadership on families at home This conversation goes beyond tactics. It explores responsibility, identity, the "robot mode" many combat leaders adopt, and what happens when you finally step away from the machine. Isaac shares the deeper story behind his memoir Hangar 4, a candid look at Marine Corps aviation, brotherhood inside Hangar 4, and the transition from warfighter to civilian leader. If you care about Marine Corps aviation, CH-53 helicopters, Iraq and Afghanistan combat stories, or leadership under pressure, this episode delivers.   🎙 Guest: Isaac G. Lee Isaac Lee is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. CH-53 pilot, Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI), and former squadron commander with seven deployments and multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the author of Hangar 4 and founder of Ready Room Consulting, where he teaches leadership drawn from two decades of Marine Corps aviation. 🔗 Connect with Isaac: 🌐 Websites https://isaacglee.com https://readyroomconsulting.com 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/isaacgleewriter 📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IsaacGLee 🐦 X (Twitter) https://x.com/isaacglee 🎵 Book Soundtrack Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4x13aD07eDCCwF5TaSNyfT?si=mKzXXaHZTNCtyHss-MPTvA   🎙️ Host Information — AJ Pasciuti | Combat Story 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

    3h 26m
  2. 0321 Day Special Edition | Marine Recon Brotherhood, Gold Star Retreat, MRF  & The "Recondo Hundo"

    19 FEB

    0321 Day Special Edition | Marine Recon Brotherhood, Gold Star Retreat, MRF & The "Recondo Hundo"

    0321 Day is more than a date. It's a gut-check, a brotherhood check-in, and a reminder that no Recon Marine (and no Recon family) is ever alone. In this Combat Story Special Edition, AJ Pasciuti sits down for a two-way conversation with Randall Parks (USMC, Ret.) the West Coast organizer of 0321 Day—to break down what the day means, why it's grown into a tradition, and how the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation (MRF) directly supports Recon Marines, enablers, SARCs, and, most importantly, Gold Star families. You'll hear the story behind the event's partnership with Ballast Point Brewing, why the Recon community shows up so hard for each other, and how this annual fundraising push funds the Gold Star Family Retreat connected to the Recon Challenge at Camp Pendleton and a week-long retreat afterward. And yes… Randall also ropes AJ (and Sarah) into the most Recon fundraiser ever: The "Recondo Hundo": 100 miles in 30 days (Feb 20 → Mar 21) to raise money for the MRF. Run it, walk it, bike it, swim it; get involved and bring someone with you. Support the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation: MRF website: reconfoundation.org Donate to the Recondo Hundo: support.reconfoundation.org/ajpasciuti Signup to participate in the Recondo Hundo: support.reconfoundation.org/https-support-reconfoundation-org-2026-recondo-hundo   In this episode: - What "03" and "0321" mean in the Marine Corps - What the MRF (Marine Reconnaissance Foundation) does and why it matters - Gold Star vs Blue Star families and why Recon keeps them close - How 0321 Day grew from texts to a major event - The Recon Challenge and carrying a fallen brother's name - The "Recondo Hundo" fundraiser and how to participate   If you're a Recon Marine (or served with Recon): On March 21, reach out to somebody and say: "Hey brother, I'm thinking about you." That simple message can land heavier than you realize.   West Coast Event details: 📍 Ballast Point – Little Italy (San Diego) 🕕 March 21 | 6:00 PM A night of camaraderie, community, and fundraising for the MRF mission. To attend you must RSVP: support.reconfoundation.org/https-support-reconfoundation-org-0321day-Ballast-Point   Subscribe for more Combat Story: real conversations with warriors from every frontline; what combat feels like, what it takes to endure, and how it shapes life after the arena.

    41 min
  3. The 35-Hour B-52 Mission That Launched Desert Storm | Secret Squirrel with Col. Trey Morris

    16 FEB

    The 35-Hour B-52 Mission That Launched Desert Storm | Secret Squirrel with Col. Trey Morris

    Before the first bombs hit Iraq in 1991, seven B-52s quietly lifted off from Louisiana on a mission so classified most of the crews hadn't known it existed months earlier. In this episode of Combat Story, AJ Pasciuti sits down with Trey Morris, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and former B-52 Electronic Warfare Officer, to break down Operation Senior Surprise—nicknamed Secret Squirrel—the 35-hour, 14,000-mile strike that helped launch Operation Desert Storm. This wasn't just another bombing mission. It was the first combat use of GPS-guided cruise missiles, the longest combat sortie in history at the time, and a zero-fail test of endurance and leadership. Minutes after takeoff, Morris' aircraft lost an engine. They nearly collided during night aerial refueling. On the return leg, they ran dangerously low on fuel over the Mediterranean. What followed was problem-solving under pressure, trust inside the cockpit, and a culture that demanded accountability when it mattered most. Morris later captured the full story in his book Doom 34, but this conversation goes beyond aviation. It's about earning the right to come home—and honoring those who have "gone west." If you're interested in B-52 bombers, Desert Storm history, military aviation, long-range strike, or leadership under stress, this episode is for you.   🎙️ Guest Information — Trey Morriss | DOOM 34 | Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel | Former B-52 Electronic Warfare Officer 🔗 Find Trey Online: 📕 Book: DOOM 34 (Available globally — search "DOOM 34") 🛒 Amazon:https://a.co/d/aR2IujP 📘 Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trey.morriss/ 📘 DOOM 34 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581295749907 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treymorriss/?hl=en 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treymorriss/   🎙️ Host Information — AJ Pasciuti | Combat Story 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   Live Better Longer with BUBS Naturals. For A limited time get 20% Off your entire order with code COMBAT at https://www.bubsnaturals.com/ Ready to stop paying more than you have to? New customers can make the switch today and for a limited time, get unlimited premium wireless for just $15 per month. Switch now at www.MINTMOBILE.com/combatstory

    2h 45m
  4. Service Beyond War: Combat, Kidney Donation, and Endurance with Matt Cavanaugh

    31 JAN

    Service Beyond War: Combat, Kidney Donation, and Endurance with Matt Cavanaugh

    In this episode of Combat Story, AJ Pasciuti sits down with Matt Cavanaugh, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, combat veteran, strategist, endurance athlete, and living kidney donor, for a conversation about what service really looks like when nobody's watching. Matt is the author of Best Scar Wins: How You Can Be More Than You Were Before, and his story goes far beyond combat. We start with his experiences in Iraq and the weight of leadership under pressure, then move into the harder-to-talk-about parts of life after war: grief, identity, responsibility, and the quiet choices that shape who we become. Matt shares why he decided to become a non-directed living kidney donor, donating to a stranger and helping spark a chain that saved eight lives, including a fellow service member. Not long after surgery, he took on an endurance challenge called 1K4D (One Kidney, Four Deserts) — nearly 1,000 kilometers of self-supported racing across Namibia, Georgia, Chile, and Antarctica, including moments where the heat hit 131°F and the margin for error disappeared. This episode isn't about highlight reels. It's about follow-through. It's about choosing discomfort for the sake of others, and what it takes to keep going when the "why" has to be bigger than you. If you're interested in combat leadership, post-traumatic growth, endurance mindset, or service beyond the battlefield, this conversation will stick with you.     🎙️ Guest Information — Matt Cavanaugh | Best Scar Wins Matt Cavanaugh, PhD, is a West Point graduate and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel/Strategist who deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, earning two Bronze Stars and the Combat Action Badge. After the military, he became a living kidney donor who sparked an eight-life donor chain and has gone on to test his limits as an elite endurance athlete, including winning an ultramarathon across Antarctica. 🔗 Find Matt Online: 🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/mlcavanaugh 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mlcavanaugh1 📖 Book — Best Scar Wins: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Best-Scar-Wins/ML-Cavanaugh/9781637747742 🌐 Book Website: https://bestscarwins.com 🔗 Personal Website: https://mlcavanaugh.com   🎙️ Host Information — AJ Pasciuti | Combat Story | Darkhorse 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      Learn a new Language and get up to 55% off your subscription at www.Babbel.com/COMBATSTORY

    2h 57m
  5. Holding the Line in Mosul: A 10-Hour Urban Battle with Blackhawk Co.

    19 JAN

    Holding the Line in Mosul: A 10-Hour Urban Battle with Blackhawk Co.

    In this episode of Combat Story, Joe Troutman takes us inside one of the most intense and least-documented firefights of the Iraq War — a 10-hour urban fight in Mosul where Blackhawk Company, 1-23 Infantry, held ground without air support, under sustained RPG, machine-gun, and IED attacks. Joe served 18 years on active duty in the U.S. Army as a 13F Fire Support Specialist and Forward Observer, deploying multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan. From the early days after 9/11, through the birth of the Stryker Brigade, to the brutal street fighting that followed, Joe's story captures what combat actually looks like at ground level — confusion, exhaustion, courage, and decisions made under fire. Much of this conversation centers on the events chronicled in Joe's book, Gods of War: The Legend of Blackhawk Company 1-23 Infantry, including: - The first combat casualties in Stryker Brigade history - A catastrophic vehicle rollover on Blackhawk Company's first patrol - The August 4, 2004 Battle of Mosul, where insurgents launched a coordinated, city-wide ambush designed specifically to destroy Stryker forces - Holding key terrain "at all costs" while outnumbered, undersupplied, and cut off - Leadership, brotherhood, and survival when everything goes sideways This episode isn't about politics or strategy on paper — it's about what it feels like to fight in an urban environment, to lose teammates before your first firefight, and to keep moving when fear, chaos, and responsibility collide. If you're interested in modern warfare, infantry leadership, combat decision-making, or true war stories told by the people who lived them, this is an episode you won't want to miss.    🎙️ Guest Information — Joe Troutman | Gods of War: The Legend of Blackhawk Company 1-23 Infantry Joe Troutman, a U.S. Army combat veteran with 18 years of service and multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He's the author of Gods of War: The Legend of Blackhawk Company 1-23 Infantry, a firsthand account of combat and brotherhood from the streets of Mosul. 📘 Facebook (Personal): @joetroutmanauthor 📖 Facebook (Book): @Godsofwarbco123 📸 Instagram: @joetroutman_author 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joetroutmanauthor 🐦 X (Twitter): @JoeTroutman2   🎙️ Host Information — AJ Pasciuti | Combat Story 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

    2h 9m
  6. From the Streets, to Service, to Stand-Up: Michael D'Angelo's Military Comedy Mission

    3 JAN

    From the Streets, to Service, to Stand-Up: Michael D'Angelo's Military Comedy Mission

    In this episode of Combat Story, we sit down with Michael D'Angelo — a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who turned a turbulent childhood, military service, and hard-earned life lessons into a career built on laughter and connection. Raised in a rough environment where stability was never guaranteed, Michael found in the Marine Corps something he didn't have growing up: structure, purpose, and a way out. Serving as a Marine machine gunner, the Corps gave him direction — and later, perspective — on both pain and resilience. After leaving the military, Michael found a new mission through comedy, using humor as a tool for healing, truth-telling, and connection. He went on to found the Rapid Fire Comedy Tour, bringing stand-up comedy directly to troops, veterans, and first responders across the country — meeting people where they are and reminding them they're not alone. On this episode, we explore how the Marine Corps reshaped a young man searching for escape, how comedy became a second form of service, and why laughter might be one of the most underrated survival skills in the veteran community. While this episode doesn't focus on combat experiences, it stays true to our core mission of uplifting veteran voices and exploring the many paths of service after the uniform comes off. And fair warning — this one is absolutely hilarious. You won't want to miss it. 🎙️   Guest Information — Michael D'Angelo | Rapid Fire Comedy Tour Michael D'Angelo is a veteran comedian and creator behind the Rapid Fire Comedy Tour, a mission-driven comedy experience supporting military morale, connection, and veteran communities through humor. 🔗 Find Michael D'Angelo Online: 🎤 Rapid Fire Comedy Tour: https://www.rapidfirecomedytour.org 📸 Instagram (Tour): @rapidfirecomedytour 🎭 Character Monologues / Skits: @skitmos 👤 Personal Instagram: @michaeltheangelo    🎙️ Host Information — AJ Pasciuti | Combat Story 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

    1h 44m
  7. 13/12/2025

    Azad "Mike" - Special Operations Interpreter to United States Marine

    In this episode of Combat Story, we sit down with Azad, known overseas as "Mike," whose life represents one of the most extraordinary and unlikely journeys to come out of the post-9/11 wars. Born Kurdish in Baghdad, Azad was still a child when the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq began. His first exposure to Americans didn't come from movies, television, or Western culture — it came from U.S. soldiers operating in his hometown, at a time when alliances were fragile and the cost of being seen as a collaborator could be fatal. Driven by curiosity, survival, and a desire to understand the forces shaping his country, Azad taught himself English one word at a time. That determination led him to become a U.S. military interpreter, where he served shoulder-to-shoulder with some of America's most elite combat units, including the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, Marine Special Operations, and multiple Navy SEAL teams — often in the most dangerous and remote areas of Iraq. His service earned him a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), a rare pathway granted to foreign nationals who risked their lives in support of U.S. forces. But Azad's journey didn't stop there. After arriving in the United States, Azad did something almost unheard of: he raised his right hand again, this time to enlist as a U.S. Marine, transitioning from interpreter to infantryman and formally joining the ranks to continue to defend the country he had already sacrificed so much for. Today, Azad continues to serve beyond the battlefield. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, is currently pursuing a master's degree in cybersecurity at the University of San Diego, and works with the nonprofit No One Left Behind, advocating for interpreters and wartime allies who stood with U.S. forces and now seek safety, recognition, and support. This conversation explores war, loyalty, identity, immigration, service, and sacrifice, and asks a deeper question: What does it mean to belong to a nation you were willing to die for long before you were allowed to call it home?     To learn more about No One Left Behind visit https://www.nooneleft.org/    Live Better Longer with BUBS Naturals.  For A limited time get 20% Off your entire order with code COMBAT at Bubsnaturals.com

    3h 15m

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Real combat stories from the military's elite. This podcast highlights the courageous, outrageous, crazy, and surreal experiences veterans recall from their toughest days in the foxhole, cockpit, and front lines. We interview JTACs, Special Operators (Delta), Special Forces, Jet Pilots, Combat Aviators, Infrantrymen, Marines, and vets from over 50 years of combat experience.Interviews touch on the toughest missions these vets faced, how they handled them, their first combat experiences, how they found their way to the military, and how they managed after leaving the combat behind.

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