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