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Combat Story

Combat Story

By: AJ Pasciuti
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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.Copyright Ryan Fugit World
Episodes
  • FBI SWAT Sniper: The Shot That Saved His Team | Jeremy Rebmann

    FBI SWAT Sniper: The Shot That Saved His Team | Jeremy Rebmann
    Mar 30 2026
    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 likeThe mindset of a sniper making life-or-death decisionsHow training takes over when there's no time to thinkThe emotional and psychological impact after a shootingBrotherhood, 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/B0D4WSM4V1 📸 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
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    3 hrs and 16 mins
  • Marine Scout Sniper Alexander Lemons on Iraq, Hidden Wounds, and the Real Cost of War | Combat Story

    Marine Scout Sniper Alexander Lemons on Iraq, Hidden Wounds, and the Real Cost of War | Combat Story
    Mar 16 2026

    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
    Show more Show less
    2 hrs and 5 mins
  • The CH-53 Mission to Recover a Downed Night Stalker Helicopter | Ret. Lt. Col Isaac G. Lee

    The CH-53 Mission to Recover a Downed Night Stalker Helicopter | Ret. Lt. Col Isaac G. Lee
    Mar 2 2026
    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
    Show more Show less
    3 hrs and 26 mins
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Ryan has a gift for being able to talk to the most amazing and inspiring guests. Hearing these stories of service and sacrifice is so humbling. It’s such a privilege to get listen to the men and women tell the stories themselves.

As a 25 year old aspiring army aviator, I have personally found this podcast very inspiring. Getting to listen to these stories on long drives turns the trips into something I get to look forward to every day.

Absolutely Riveting!

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