AJ Pasciuti grew up in Sunnyvale, California, the son of Italian and Argentine immigrants.
After 9/11 reshaped his sense of purpose, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division - one of the most storied units in the Corps - where he served as a rifleman and team leader.
Over 21 years of service, he deployed 3 times to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, including the Battle of Fallujah.
He led a Scout Sniper team that tracked and killed the most lethal enemy sniper in Iraq - a figure known as “Juba” - and recovered a stolen Marine sniper rifle in what was the first mission of its kind by an American service member since Vietnam.
He went on to serve with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion and 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company, deploying to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom and later with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
As an instructor, he taught at the Scout Sniper School at Camp Pendleton, created the Recon Team Leaders Course, and helped develop the Infantry Marine Course at School of Infantry–West, modernizing foundational training for enlisted Marines.
Selected for the highly competitive Marine Gunner program, he became an Infantry Weapons Officer and rose to Chief Warrant Officer 3 before retiring from the Marine Corps in 2023.
He holds a Master of Business for Veterans from the University of Southern California and a Master of Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at the University of San Diego.
He is the host of the Combat Story podcast and the author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, releasing May 19, 2026.
Chapters
00:00 Meet AJ and Dark Horse
14:22 Immigrant Roots and Upbringing
34:36 Untold Sniper Story Begins
58:04 Growing Up in Northern California
01:18:47 Boot Camp and Early Challenges 01:53:17 Iraq Invasion and First Combat
02:20:50 Moral Injury and the Cost of War
02:45:55 Push to Baghdad
03:11:23 First Kills and Survival Mode
03:42:35 Scout Sniper Indoc
04:09:05 Fallujah and Chris Kyle
04:57:51 Fallujah Aftermath and Reflection
05:10:47 Hunting Juba
05:39:21 Juba Enters the Fight
06:14:23 The Bait Mission
06:47:52 Juba Revealed
07:15:19 Advanced Training and Afghanistan
07:42:43 Finding the Enemy Rear Area
08:09:11 Confirming the Fallen
08:24:15 Advice and Farewell
