He Couldn't Get Hired, So He Bought a Plane Ticket to Darfur | Finding Purpose Before the Military
Combat Story25 Okt 2025

He Couldn't Get Hired, So He Bought a Plane Ticket to Darfur | Finding Purpose Before the Military

Sponsored by Veterans Help Group — supporting veterans navigating VA benefits.

In this incredible, unconventional story, Nate reveals how he discovered his life's purpose by taking a radical leap of faith.

In 2004, feeling adrift and disturbed by the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan, Nate knew he had to do something. Rejected by countless NGOs due to his lack of a college degree and "special skills," he refused to accept "no" for an answer.

With nothing but determination and a bold elevator pitch, he bought a plane ticket to Chad and found a way onto a UN flight to the refugee camps. Despite being interrogated by local authorities, Nate's perseverance paid off, and he was put to work—an experience that transformed his life in ways he never imagined.

This powerful, two-month journey ignited Nate's passion for service and ultimately led him to enlist in the U.S. military. A must-listen story about the warrior spirit, rising to the occasion in a time of crisis, and choosing action over complacency.

🎙️ About Ryan Fugit:

Ryan is the creator and host of Combat Story, a podcast that captures the firsthand accounts of combat veterans, and Restricted Handling, which explores authoritarian activity and international security through conversations with world-class experts. Check out the Retricted Handling podcast at www.restrictedhandling.com

🔔 Subscribe for more interviews with military veterans, intelligence professionals, and leaders shaping the future of national security.

Find AJ Online:

📸Instagram: / ajpasciuti

📘 LinkedIn: / 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/4aqn

👉Combat Story Podcast (Part 2 – Sniper vs Sniper Battle):
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

👉Urban Valor Facebook Feature:
/ 602000529075284

👉DVIDS Video on Infantry Marine Course:
https://www.nationalguard.mil/Leaders


Find Ryan Online:

🎙️ Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory

🔗Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats

🛒 Email ryan@combatstory.com

📸 Instagram @combatstory / combatstory

📘 Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial

Check out the Retricted Handling podcast at www.restrictedhandling.com

📖 Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial

✔ Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus

🎵 Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle


📘 Chapters:

00:00 Introduction 00:30 Nate's Journey to Darfur 02:10 Challenges and Experiences in Darfur 04:30 Joining the Military: From Darfur to the Army 14:49 Family Reactions and Early Military Days 29:25 Special Forces Training and Deployment 35:04 Reflecting on Physical Fitness and Aging 36:26 Deployment to Iraq: A Journey Through History 38:19 Experiences and Challenges in Iraq 40:36 The Complexities of War and Foreign Policy 46:34 First Missions and Initial Encounters 57:49 Training and Selection of Iraqi Soldiers 01:03:41 Balancing Military Service and College Football 01:06:47 Internships Abroad and Early Deployments 01:07:01 Experiences in Afghanistan 01:07:17 Combat Encounters and Reflections 01:09:36 Returning Home and Transitioning to Football 01:10:10 Balancing Military and Football 01:11:02 Challenges of Transitioning from Military to Civilian Life 01:23:19 Veterans Help Group and Support Systems 01:28:09 Merging Vets and Players (MVP) Initiative 01:33:05 Personal Reflections and Future Plans

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(236)

Reconnaissance Man — Episode 3: Evil Eye

Reconnaissance Man — Episode 3: Evil Eye

The Cold War was fought long before the first shots of Vietnam captured America's attention. By 1966, more than 400,000 U.S. troops were committed to the war, Marine Corps Captain James "Jim" Steele a...

21 Sep 50min

Why the Marine Corps Killed Sniper School | The Four Horsemen

Why the Marine Corps Killed Sniper School | The Four Horsemen

Four career Marine scout snipers packed into one room, no script, no agenda — and what comes out of it is some of the funniest, most specific war stories you'll hear all year, sitting right next to a ...

14 Sep 2h 27min

"From the Infantry to Fighting for Allies" | Andrew Sullivan, No One Left Behind Executive Director

"From the Infantry to Fighting for Allies" | Andrew Sullivan, No One Left Behind Executive Director

Andrew Sullivan led an Army infantry platoon through two tours in Iraq and commanded a company in Afghanistan — and says his own interpreter carried more risk, and more of the war, than he ever did. T...

24 Aug 3h 1min

Why a Wounded EOD Gunnery Sergeant Refused to Leave His Team & What Happended After| Timothy Colomer

Why a Wounded EOD Gunnery Sergeant Refused to Leave His Team & What Happended After| Timothy Colomer

Gunnery Sergeant Timothy Colomer was a decorated EOD technician in Iraq when a daisy-chain IED detonated directly beneath his truck. The blast broke his helmet in half. It should have sent him home. I...

3 Aug 2h 33min

Sniper Alex Lemons: Friendly Fire, the Battle of An Najaf, and the War Still in Veterans' Bodies (Part 2)

Sniper Alex Lemons: Friendly Fire, the Battle of An Najaf, and the War Still in Veterans' Bodies (Part 2)

Alex Lemons survived the Battle of An Najaf without a scratch from the enemy — and nearly died from friendly fire instead, when a young Marine mistook him for an insurgent and put six rounds past him ...

27 Jul 3h 20min

946 Days as a Hostage in Iraq | Peter Moore's Only Full Interview

946 Days as a Hostage in Iraq | Peter Moore's Only Full Interview

He thought he was accepting a routine IT contract. Instead, Peter Moore disappeared into captivity for 946 days. In 2007, British IT consultant Peter Moore traveled to Baghdad believing he would be he...

20 Jul 3h 13min

Writing Darkhorse, Carrying Combat Story, and What Comes Next | AJ Pasciuti & Ryan Fugit

Writing Darkhorse, Carrying Combat Story, and What Comes Next | AJ Pasciuti & Ryan Fugit

What happens after the writing is done and the book has to face the world? Nearly two months after the release of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, the microphone changes hands. ...

14 Jul 42min

The Air Assault That Changed Modern Warfare | Frank Hancock on Desert Storm

The Air Assault That Changed Modern Warfare | Frank Hancock on Desert Storm

What does it take to lead one of the largest air assault operations in military history? Retired Army Colonel Frank Hancock joins Combat Story to share a firsthand account of planning and executing th...

6 Jul 2h 17min

Populært innen Vitenskap

fastlegen
romkapsel
tingenes-tilstand
jss
liberal-halvtime
forskningno
sinnsyn
rekommandert
villmarksliv
rss-paradigmepodden
fjellsportpodden
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
grunnstoffene
nordnorsk-historie
rss-nysgjerrige-norge
tidlose-historier
psykopoden
rss-rekommandert
rss-inn-til-kjernen-med-sunniva-rose
smart-forklart