Combat Story

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.

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/

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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.

*]: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

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