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This is the second round of our two part Combat Story with former Force Recon, Scout Sniper, and Marine Rifleman AJ Pasciuti who recently retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 (Gunner) and passed on more lucrative careers in the defense industry to keep a promise he and his fellow Marines made after losing some of their closest friends in combat to lead a purpose- and service-driven life as he runs for public office in his hometown of San Jose, California.

AJ was an unlikely candidate to be the Marine Corps sniper who, as part of a team, was responsible for killing the most lethal sniper in Iraq (known as Juba) who took the lives of, potentially, 140+ Americans using a US sniper rifle taken off the bodies of a fallen Marine Corps sniper team. AJ is credited with ultimately pulling the trigger on Juba but, in true Marine Corps fashion and very much in line with AJ’s character, he has forever eschewed the spotlight and attributed the work to the team of Marines that stopped Juba (who was personified in the movie American Sniper) from terrorizing other US forces.

In a very sad and emotional but inspiring turn of events, AJ would lose a coin flip in which his closest friend’s team would take the decisive position on a particular operation in Afghanistan while AJ’s team served a supporting role. During the fight, AJ would lose this Marine and confidant during a multi-hour gunfight.

When you hear his story of loss and sacrifice, it’s no surprise that AJ chose to continue serving in his post-military career, running for office in northern California. He’s a great reminder of the type of people we all want in office, even when these office’s tend to undervalue the integrity and dedication to others that he embodies.

With that, please enjoy a story that was made for the big screen from the son of an immigrant to one of the Marine Corps’ most lethal shooters: AJ Pasciuti.

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- Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
Find AJ Online:
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/posts/angelo-pasciuti_the-pathway-to-public-representation-continues-activity-7044775065183272960-wyMZ/
- Washington Post aricle on Juba https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/01/22/iraqi-sniper-the-legendary-insurgent-who-claimed-to-have-killed-scores-of-american-soldiers/

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Show Notes:
0:00 - Intro
01:00 - Guest Introduction (AJ Pasciuti)
02:39 - Interview begins
02:55 - Nickname
05:02 - Thespian
09:35 - What goes into a hunt
13:50 - The Juba Sniper hunt
35:06 - Nutrisense Ad
36:21 - The Juba Sniper hunt cont.
01:02:43 - Aftermath of Juba
01:06:30 - Matthew Ingham and Award Qualifications
02:05:40 - Sentimental items
02:09:22 - Would you do it all again?
02:09:42 - Closing thoughts
02:10:07 - Listener comments and shout outs