Marine Raider LtCol Ivan Ingraham (USMC, Ret.) takes us deep inside one of the most intense firefights of the Afghanistan War — when his convoy rolled into the Green Zone and an RPG bounced off the hood of his Humvee before exploding behind him.

In this unforgettable episode of Combat Story, Ivan shares what it really feels like when all hell breaks loose. From the chaos of a full-blown ambush to the calm, deliberate decisions that saved his Marines’ lives, this story captures the courage, clarity, and leadership forged only through combat.

Ivan spent 24 years in the Marine Corps, serving as both a conventional infantry officer and later as a Special Operations Marine Raider with MARSOC. Across five combat deployments to Afghanistan, he led elite units under fire, trained the next generation of Recon Marines, and later turned his hard-won lessons into writing, speaking, and leadership coaching.

 

This is more than just a war story. It’s about courage under fire, the weight of command, and finding purpose after the battlefield.

 

🔗 Connect with Ivan Ingraham

 

🌐 Official Website: ➡️ https://ivanfingraham.com

📰 Substack Newsletter – The Log Book ➡️ https://ivanfingraham.substack.com

📘 Books by Ivan F. Ingraham

➡️ Once We Pledged Forever: A Novel of Combat, Marines and the War Within

https://www.amazon.com/Once-We-Pledged-Forever-Marines/dp/1958861669

➡️ Dream Job

https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Job-Ivan-F-Ingraham-ebook/dp/B0CW18V16F

➡️ Athena: Bravery Knows No Gender

https://www.amazon.com/Athena-Ivan-F-Ingraham-ebook/dp/B0BLT469Y4

➡️ 22: A Journey to The Edge of Darkness

https://www.amazon.com/22-Darkness-Ivan-F-Ingraham/dp/B0C2RYRYFW

➡️ The Patrol: A Story of MARSOC at War https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137341905-the-patrol-a-story-of-marsoc-at-war

📚 Amazon Author Page (Full Catalog): ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ivan-F.-Ingraham/author/B0BCL7NGS3

💬 Facebook: ➡️ https://www.facebook.com/IvanFIngraham

📸 Instagram: ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/ifi_writer

 

Find AJ Online:

📸Instagram:   / ajpasciuti https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/

📘 LinkedIn:   / angelo-pasciuti https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/

🔗Personal Website & Book Pre-Order (“Darkhorse”): https://www.ajpasciuti.com/

👉Combat Story Podcast (Part 1 – USMC Sniper & Force Recon in Fallujah):

 https://open.spotify.com/episode/4aqnKAUUOCDmJZPWrMf9NZ

👉Combat Story Podcast (Part 2 – Sniper vs Sniper Battle):

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sniper-vs-sniper-battle-killing-the-enemys-most/id1537933985?i=1000633686192

👉Urban Valor Facebook Feature:

https://www.facebook.com/UrbanValor/posts/retired-marine-chief-warrant-officer-3-aj-pasciuti-recounts-being-in-the-middle-/602000529075284/

👉DVIDS Video on Infantry Marine Course:

https://www.nationalguard.mil/Leadership/Joint-Staff/Comptroller/Innovation/?dvpTag=imc&videoid=790758

🧭 CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

 

00:00 – Intro: RPG Ambush & Chaos in the Green Zone

03:15 – Ivan Ingraham’s background and upbringing in a military family

07:20 – Why he joined the Marines and the recruiting story that changed everything

12:10 – Lessons from OCS and The Basic School: what makes a Marine officer different

18:00 – Becoming an Infantry Officer and early deployments with 1/4

25:30 – Transition to Recon and the path toward Force Reconnaissance

34:00 – September 11th: where Ivan was when the towers fell

37:45 – Early years of the Global War on Terror and Recon’s evolving role

41:00 – The creation of MARSOC and Ivan’s move to Marine Special Operations

51:30 – Inside MARSOC’s first deployments: structure, culture, and combat readiness

1:07:00 – The firefight: RPG hits the convoy and “all hell breaks loose”

1:13:00 – What combat really sounds like and the chaos of leadership under fire

1:20:00 – Calling in air support and the A-10 Warthog strafing run

1:26:00 – The moment Ivan thought they wouldn’t make it out alive

1:31:00 – Aftermath: reflection, loss, and lessons in leadership

1:47:00 – Writing, healing, and building “The Log Book” newsletter

1:54:00 – Life after MARSOC: leadership, loss, and finding purpose again

2:10:00 – Ivan Ingraham’s advice on courage, humility, and leading through fear

 

🪖 ABOUT IVAN INGRAHAM

 

LtCol Ivan Ingraham, USMC (Ret.) is a former Marine Raider (MARSOC), combat veteran, and author. Over a 24-year career, he served in leadership roles across conventional and special operations units, deploying five times to Afghanistan and around the world.

 

⚡ WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

 

✅ How a Marine Raider leads through chaos when everything falls apart

✅ What it feels like to be ambushed by RPGs in Afghanistan

✅ The difference between leadership in combat vs. corporate life

✅ The emotional cost of war and how Ivan found meaning beyond the battlefield

✅ Lessons on humility, courage, and trust from 24 years of service