{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Holding the Line in Mosul: A 10-Hour Urban Battle with Blackhawk Co.","description":"In this episode of Combat Story, Joe Troutman takes us inside one of the most intense and least-documented firefights of the Iraq War \u2014 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\u2019s story captures what combat actually looks like at ground level \u2014 confusion, exhaustion, courage, and decisions made under fire. Much of this conversation centers on the events chronicled in Joe\u2019s book, Gods of War: The Legend of Blackhawk Company 1-23 Infantry, including: - The first combat casualties in Stryker Brigade history - A catastrophic vehicle rollover on Blackhawk Company\u2019s first patrol - The August 4, 2004 Battle of Mosul, where insurgents launched a coordinated, city-wide ambush designed specifically to destroy Stryker forces - Holding key terrain \u201cat all costs\u201d while outnumbered, undersupplied, and cut off - Leadership, brotherhood, and survival when everything goes sideways This episode isn\u2019t about politics or strategy on paper \u2014 it\u2019s about what it feels like to fight in an urban environment, to lose teammates before your first firefight, and to keep moving when fear, chaos, and responsibility collide. If you\u2019re interested in modern warfare, infantry leadership, combat decision-making, or true war stories told by the people who lived them, this is an episode you won\u2019t want to miss.    \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Guest Information \u2014 Joe Troutman | Gods of War: The Legend of Blackhawk Company 1-23 Infantry Joe Troutman, a U.S. Army combat veteran with 18 years of service and multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He\u2019s the author of Gods of War: The Legend of Blackhawk Company 1-23 Infantry, a firsthand account of combat and brotherhood from the streets of Mosul. \ud83d\udcd8 Facebook (Personal): @joetroutmanauthor \ud83d\udcd6 Facebook (Book): @Godsofwarbco123 \ud83d\udcf8 Instagram: @joetroutman_author \ud83d\udd17 LinkedIn: linkedin.com\/in\/joetroutmanauthor \ud83d\udc26 X (Twitter): @JoeTroutman2   \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Host Information \u2014 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. \ud83d\udd17 Find AJ Online: \ud83d\udcd5 Book (Darkhorse): https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Darkhorse-Harnessing-Hidden-Potential-Life\/dp\/1400254973 \ud83d\udcf8 Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ajpasciuti\/ \ud83d\udcd8 LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/angelo-pasciuti\/ \ud83d\udd17 Website: https:\/\/www.ajpasciuti.com\/ \ud83c\udfa7 Featured Combat Story Episodes with AJ \ud83d\udc49 Combat Story Podcast \u2013 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 \ud83d\udc49 Combat Story Podcast \u2013 Part 2 (Sniper vs Sniper Battle) - Killing the Enemy\u2019s Most Lethal Sniper | Force Recon | AJ Pasciuti https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=p5Ggly1TGAU  \ud83d\udcfa Additional Features & Media \ud83d\udc49 Urban Valor Podcast Feature: https:\/\/urbanvalor.com\/episode\/marine-snipers-eliminate-enemy-sniper-reclaim-stolen-us-sniper-rifle\/ \ud83d\udc49 DVIDS \u2013 Infantry Marine Course Feature: https:\/\/www.nationalguard.mil\/Leadership\/Joint-Staff\/Comptroller\/Innovation\/?dvpTag=imc&videoid=790758   ","author_name":"Combat Story","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/435765","html":"