Marine Infantry Officer & USASOC | Warrior Withdrawal | Varpas de Sa Pereira
Release Date: 10/27/2024
He Was in Vietnam Before the War Began | Reconnaissance Man Ep. 1
Combat Story
Before Vietnam became the war America remembers, James Lyle Steele was already in it. In Episode 1 of Reconnaissance Man, “Good Morning, Vietnam,” Steele takes us into the earliest days of America’s involvement in the war, when the mission was still forming, the battlefield was still being understood, and the cost was already very real. A retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and one of the original generation of Marine reconnaissance men, Steele describes a brutal and fast-changing fight shaped by booby traps, poisoned bamboo, hidden tunnels, ambushes, helicopter assaults, and...
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The Secret War Before Iraq | Green Berets, Kurdish Fighters, and the Northern Front
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Before the Iraq War officially began, a different fight was already underway. U.S. Army Special Forces teams were operating in Northern Iraq, linking up with Kurdish fighters and preparing to open a second front against Saddam Hussein. What they built in those early months would shape the opening phase of the war. In this episode, AJ Pasciuti sits down with retired Lieutenant Colonel Mark Grdovic, a Green Beret who led missions alongside Kurdish Peshmerga forces against Al-Qaeda affiliates in the mountains. This conversation follows the full path, from early training and deployments, to the...
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FBI SWAT Sniper: The Shot That Saved His Team | Jeremy Rebmann
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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...
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Marine Scout Sniper Alexander Lemons on Iraq, Hidden Wounds, and the Real Cost of War | Combat Story
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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...
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The CH-53 Mission to Recover a Downed Night Stalker Helicopter | Ret. Lt. Col Isaac G. Lee
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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:...
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0321 Day Special Edition | Marine Recon Brotherhood, Gold Star Retreat, MRF & The “Recondo Hundo”
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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...
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The 35-Hour B-52 Mission That Launched Desert Storm | Secret Squirrel with Col. Trey Morris
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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...
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Service Beyond War: Combat, Kidney Donation, and Endurance with Matt Cavanaugh
Combat Story
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...
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Holding the Line in Mosul: A 10-Hour Urban Battle with Blackhawk Co.
Combat Story
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...
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From the Streets, to Service, to Stand-Up: Michael D’Angelo’s Military Comedy Mission
Combat Story
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...
info_outlineToday we hear a Combat Story from Marine Officer and US Army Special Operations Command (or USASOC) leader Varpas de Sa Pereira (de SA Pur-rare-a). His book Warrior Withdrawal: When BAMF No Longer Means Bad*$$ M^ther#u@!er is a great read for anyone trying to understand why so many of veterans - myself included - face challenges transitioning out of the military outside of just PTSD.
Varpas faced combat many times, deploying time and again with a variety of units in search of some "thing" he was missing. He was finally fully engrossed in the ‘system’ and had trouble pulling himself out of it. After 15 years of service, including time in USASOC at the tip of the spear, he finally retired and went back to school to study clinical psychology, where he realized what he had experienced was not abnormal. Many veterans, for whom being a warrior is ingrained in their psyche, struggle to adapt to life outside the military, often leading them to mental health challenges. Varpas coined this as Warrior Withdrawal Syndrome and now works as a psychotherapist to help veterans facing difficulties in their newfound lives.
In this episode we talk through several of his combat experiences in Iraq and some really challenging experiences that officers often face in making life and death decisions in very ambiguous environments.
He is currently a staff psychologist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where he provides mental health care to veterans and their families. You can get his book Warrior Withdrawal on Amazon. With that, please enjoy this unique interview with Varpas.
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🎵 Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
Show Notes:
00:00 Intro
00:49 Introduction to Combat Story
01:08 Meet Varpus Desaparara
01:56 Warrior Withdrawal: Understanding Veteran Challenges
02:40 Varpus' Unique Background
02:59 The Meaning Behind the Name Varpus
04:45 Family History and Military Service
07:45 The Concept of 'Left of Boom'
09:38 The Transition from Military to Civilian Life
15:30 The Making of a Marine Officer
18:16 First Deployment Experiences
28:00 General's Aide and Beyond
37:13 Reflecting on Regret and Mental Health
38:38 Memorable Events from the First Deployment
40:35 Taking Initiative and Facing Challenges
41:47 Combat Realities and Leadership Decisions
43:28 Navigating Friendly Fire and Tactical Decisions
48:32 Moral Dilemmas and Command Conflicts
55:44 Career Progression and Special Ops Aspirations
01:06:31 Leadership Reflections and Personal Growth
01:12:25 Leadership Challenges in Fallujah
01:14:01 IED Strikes and Quick Reaction Force
01:16:03 Engaging the Enemy and Emotional Toll
01:24:47 Transitioning to Regiment and Family Sacrifices
01:29:07 Special Operations and Missed Opportunities
01:33:42 Warrior Withdrawal and Psychological Impact
01:45:38 Reflections and Moving Forward
01:50:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts