Bounty Hunter 4/3: My Life in Combat from Marine Scout Sniper to MARSOC

by Jason Delgado, Chris Martin

The memoir of Jason Delgado, a US Marine scout sniper and MARSOC's first lead sniper instructor.

The fight for Jason Delgado's life and soul began when he was just a boy. He ultimately escaped the death and drugs of a crime-riddled Bronx by way of the United States Marine Corps. However, after earning his way into the esteemed ranks of the service's famed Scout Snipers, Delgado saw that old struggle reignited when he was dumped into the hell of war in Iraq.

There Delgado proved not only a participant, but a warrior capable of turning the tide in several of the most harrowing and historically important battles of the evolving war. He took all the hard lessons learned in combat and, as MARSOC's original lead sniper instructor, made himself a pivotal figure in revolutionizing the way special operations snipers trained and operated. But even after accomplishing his mission in the military, Delgado still faced that original fight, struggling to understand and accept the man his experiences had transformed him into. Bounty Hunter 4/3 is Jason Delgado's captivating first-hand account of these powerful and life-changing experiences.

Genres: Military Fiction, War, Nonfiction, History, Military History, Memoir, Biography

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2017

Reviews

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chilling Jason Delgado has penned an excellent book about his experiences growing up in the Bronx, becoming Marine, a sniper, his experiences in Iraq as a sniper, and about becoming an sniper instructor afterwards. While he leaves no doubt about his alpha male status, he does not shy away from describing many personal experiences, even the ones where he feels he has failed. Where the book really shines is in his telling of his tours in Iraq. From his gung-ho, supremely driven first days there, to his awakening to the horrors of the war and his part in it. The battle scenes were extremely vivid, fast moving, and made you almost feel you were there. And afterwards, you could really feel his pain. While sometimes I felt uneasy with his macho take on the world, and how the Marine Corp really promotes this sense of invincibility, I am aware that it is a world I will never understand, and cannot fault it for it's success in creating "supermen" like Delgado. Other times, I really felt bad for him, when he had to face up to the fact that the rest of the world (his relationships, for one) did not subscribe to the same outlook. All in all, an excellent book. I just cannot get over the horrors he faced in Iraq, in battles that we here at home never were even told about. And I thank him for his service.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Delgado gives you an honest look into his life. I say that because after reading his book he speaks of mistakes he made with his family, his marriage, his wanting to be a better father which many do, focusing on his career in the Marines, especially when he made it into scout sniper, then into MARSCO, where he became lead sniper instructor. I knew at the beginning though when he describes what it was like for him and others arriving at Twenty-Nine Palms, the Marine Base there is different especially for anyone from the city going to the desert. Growing up in the desert and being at that base and others you really would like to be sent somewhere else.
When he begins to speak of his training and then his battle experiences you are brought into other books of the true brotherhood of the Marine Corps and also all of the young men and women who have gone off to fight. He has taken his struggles from the Bronx and shown you how he overcame them to join the Marines to once they’re always looking for the next challenge. He even looks at where maybe he should have stayed. Then he goes back to how he can be better for his children and how he hopes somehow, he can make up for his past mistakes as a parent with his oldest daughter. I felt that this was an honest look at himself and the life he has led so far and an excellence book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book about one man's experience as a Marine Sniper. He spends a brief amount of time talking about his childhood but the book is pretty fast paced. Every once in awhile, all the military acronyms become overwhelming, but he explains things as much as possible. Also, I thought the ending was very poignant and gives a lot of insight as to what vets from the middle east face when coming home.

[Katie R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very engaging memoir, though the reflection on combat held my attention the least. What I really liked about this memoir was the fact there wasn't a lot of narration. Memoir's are a reflection, and this one actually read as such.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally published at Book of Bogan.

Bounty Hunter 4/3 is the latest in a string of personal accounts written by special forces soldiers, and other military personnel recounting their experiences in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the tale of Jason Delgado, a Marine sniper who was involved in the thick of some of the deadly warfare which took place in the city of Husaybah.

It is in the vein of autobiographies like Chris Kyle’s American Sniper, and others, and is a very personal look at what it takes to be a special forces operative on the front lines. The book begins with the author growing up in The Bronx, and the events which led him to signing up as a Marine, and then going through the arduous training required to become a Scout Sniper. I am not saying that some of the other accounts glamourise this experience by any means, but Delgado brings a very down to earth viewpoint at the bloody nature of the business of war. By his own admission he embarked on this journey with something of an unrealistic expectation of what it took, however through his training he had this stripped away.

As an on-the-ground viewpoint, Bounty Hunter 4/3 focuses primarily on the very real, gritty experience of warfare on the street. Danger lurks around every corner, and there is a sense of the powerlessness he felt in being unable to take action to protect the locals, or the brotherhood he was fighting alongside. The downside is that it can be difficult to get a sense of the battlefield as a whole, and the author acknowledges that not many people remember the name of Husaybah, where a significant portion of the action takes place in the latter half of the book.

It is undeniable that there is a personal cost for anyone who goes to war. The author had to witness the deaths, and maimings of many of his comrades in arms, which he had to bear psychologically when he returned home. I think this is the greatest strength of the book, that going beyond the outer bravado, and spitshined image of warriors marching off to war, there are injuries which go beyond the visible. Bounty Hunter takes us inside the head of one such warrior, and into his personal family life which had to bear the cost as well.

As mentioned before, this is not the first book which covers some of this territory, but it is a highly personal, intriguing look at the life of a US Marine sniper. I enjoyed reading the book, and found it quite moving in places.

I received a review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a well-written book about a young man's journey from life in the Bronx into the Marines and ends "shortly" after he left the Marines. He shares what he learned while growing up in the Bronx and how that helped him in the Marines. He then shares his experiences and lessons in the Marines, which were very interesting. It was an interesting book; I did not like putting it down. I felt it moved at a fast pace; a couple of times I got lost in the acronyms on some of the pages at the end of the book. He is honest; he does not sugar-coat his mistakes, be it with the Marines [not many, it seemed] or his personal life [where he had a harder time "making things work"]. He does not hold back, either, in terms of discussing officers he respected and those with whom he lost all respect.

He has a chapter devoted to hard lessons learned in battle in Iraq; each "lesson" is expanded on through the use of "anecdotes" [personal stories from combat?]. He talked about how he and his men were never taught these lessons before heading to Iraq; it was a new situation, a new environment, and they were learning as they went along. He also used these lessons learned "the hard way" to new Marines who were going to be heading into battle so that they would be more prepared for what they would face than he was [completely unprepared].

I also thought it was interesting to read about how he was amongst the group of snipers [or "super-snipers"] who 'finally' dragged the Marine Corps sniper program out of the Vietnam-era 1960s and into the 'Modern Age' of warfare. They learned how to better integrate modern technology with sniper tactics to provide snipers with the best tools possible to perfect their craft. It was fascinating to read, as there was a lot of pushback, initially, to prevent such a thing from happening. But as more "upper brass" got behind the program and pushed for the "modernization" / advancement / improvement of Marine sniper tactics, the better the Marines performed as their skills improved dramatically. It really was a fascinating read. At the same time, I found myself wondering what would happen if some of that technology were damaged or destroyed in a firefight; would the snipers have the training to fall back on in case their much-vaunted technology was damaged or destroyed, if it were removed from the equation on the battlefield. Regardless, it was fascinating to read about how the Marines dramatically improved their training for their snipers.

It was also interesting to read how the Marines formed their own "special forces unit" that was "folded" into SOCOM. The Marines originally considered themselves to be a "special forces unit," but they were regularly bypassed for Army Green Berets or Navy SEALs when it came to specialized missions. Tiring of being ignored or dismissed, the Marines had to change their mindset [they had previously refused to let any of their units to under the command of any non-Marines, like SOCOM] in order to once again be one of those who could claim the bragging rights of being "the first to fight."

I felt the author was very honest throughout the book. I felt this way partly because he was honest about his mistakes, about his failings, especially in his personal life. He talks about having had multiple affairs [and how his first wife had affairs as well while he was away]; he talks about how he has a horrible relationship with his oldest daughter that he cannot figure out how to repair. At the same time, he has a "great relationship" with his younger two daughters. He also talks about how he has never felt like he could ever "return home" to a life of peace and tranquility after what happened to him during his time in the Marines. The only time he felt he was at peace was when he was overseas, facing danger with a mission that needed to be accomplished. "Right now," he works as an overseas contractor providing military training and protection for various clients. So it was "sad" to read how he could never "return home" to the United States, how he had to leave after a few months because it was too alien to him; he no longer knew how to act [or react] in the civilian world. He did try counseling a couple of times, but it only helped for a short period of time.

He also discussed how no sniper ever regularly gets a kill on the first shot, every time. He described several instances where he had to "re-zero" his weapon in order to be able to take down targets who were threatening Iraqi citizens/soldiers or American soldiers. He also described several "long-range" shots he made to take out enemy targets. It was interesting to read his description(s) on his experiences to get his rifle zeroed in.

He also described a mission where the only weapons he had were his sniper rifle and a pistol. A firefight erupted and he was essentially useless because he could not use his rifle, and the distances involved were to great to be able to use his pistol. After that firefight, he started carrying an M-4 with him at all times and was ready to use it; his sniper rifle was slung over his shoulder until he reached a point where he could use it against the enemy.

One of the "hardest" parts of the book to read involved his struggles with upper command. He was continually challenged and investigated because of actions he took in terms of killing enemy soldiers, yet his actions saved many American lives. He continually reported a growing insurgency, but the upper echelons of command refused to take him seriously until the insurgency exploded into the news and numerous Marines [including his Captain, who he highly respected] were killed. He described numerous times where he did not receive the support he should have had from his commanding officers, let alone those in higher positions, and how it demoralized him and his men. I realize we are only getting his perspective in this book, and we never get the perspective of those officers above him who would have viewed things through a different lens, a different perspective than he saw things.

On a "side" note, it is "amazing" [depressing] how many upper-command officers believed the War to be over and refused to believe any information to the contrary. Despite American positions being continually bombed [via mobile mortars], the higher-ups refused to believe there were any issues. Despite intelligence coming in that indicated the War was not truly over, it was ignored and/or dismissed by those in command because they did not want to believe things were getting out of control. This is not the only book that has discussed this stupidity on the part of the leaders [including the civilian leaders in the government]. It was pretty crazy, that is for sure! How many American soldiers needlessly lost their lives because of this intransigence to believe the evidence in front of them?

It was an interesting book, especially when he talks about how he was able to pass on his "life lessons" learned the hard way in combat to younger Marines in order to help them survive going into combat. Another "sad" part of the book was when he discussed how so many of his friends were killed in combat; that many of them had chosen to go back into battle when they could have stayed behind and held "safe, cushy" positions but chose not to do so. That was a hard part of the book to read. It held my attention through the entire book, and I enjoyed reading it.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bounty Hunter 4\3 is a in- depth personal story of Jason Delgado. Just like American Sniper and American wife readers are given a raw look at life in the military and how one choose the career of a sniper or who that career chooses them.
Jason doesn't sugar coat his life before during the years as a United States Marian Corp Sniper. He doesn't shy away from the personal and emotional times in his life making he a real person readers are able to care about.
Jason tell how he was ready to take on the world during his first days in the war. This ability to describe the battle scenes in Iraq. They are vivid pushing readers to feel almost see what it was like living in a warn torn country.
As the story progress you can feel Jason pain and how it has taken a toll in his life and how it effects him daily.
Just like American Sniper Jason story gives read that Military men have a sense of invincibility. The Marines Corp has the ability to take boys and make them into killing machines to protect their country, family and what they believe in.
Jason pulls readers into his world giving them an opportunity to understand why someone go to war and the physically, emotional and personal toll it takes on everyone.
I have Reader American Sniper, American Wife and now Bounty Hunter 4\3 each one shows readers the cost of war mental only those who see the worst humanity has to offer.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for the advance copy

[Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book I read, Bounty Hunter 4/3 is about Jason Delgado who is also the author. Jason Delgado is a Marine Corps Scout Sniper. He is an amazing warrior who is serving his country and has been through a lot. He is an amazing sniper who his hit amazing shots with his sniper rifle. He is a very good sniper and is an American Hero. This book is Action and Non Fiction and I think other people would want to read this book because of all of the action that is in it. This book's message is to be a hero and to always believe in yourself and never give up. This book teaches people to never give up. I liked Bounty Hunter 4/3 because of all of the action and stories in it. And because I love how it is realistic. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Military books, Especially Military books that are realistic and are packed with a lot of Action. And I would definitely recommend this book to people who like American Hero's like Jason Delgado and people who get hooked onto long books!

[C.J. Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible. Listening this from the Author's voice and hearing the story from the actual person who was in these scenarios was very insightful. The story, while gruesome and heartbreaking, was so real and raw. I thank Jason for his service and sacrafices. This story will enlighten you on the realism of what happens in the world of a service member. Judging what a service member does in a war zone can only be given to God. Thank you for the things you are able to share and thank you for the nights you can't sleep at night because of the thoughts that forever Haunt. God Bless

[Tehila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, thoughtful book about a misunderstood branch of the military. Definitely glad I read it, and highly recommend it to other interested in military nonfiction.

I received a free copy of this book for review purposes.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was somewhere between liked it and didn't like it. I wish the had a "meh" rating. When the author was talking about his deployments and the action, it was hard to put the book down. When he was talking about his personal life (he's kind of a dick), it was boring.

[Ronald C. Grater · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the history of the Iraq.

Great descriptions of the feelings felt in war. Thank God we had good Marines to get the job done. Command doesn't always see the right course. The book was well written. I enjoyed it very much.

[Bill Loftus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason painted a phenomenal picture of what it was to grow up within the Corps. Entering a teenager and becoming not only a grown man but a true warrior.

[Bryan Dirks]

Great read! Gives you a good sense of what the life of a Marine sniper is like, and an appreciation for what their service truly means.

[Justin Weiskopf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much respect for what this man has sacrificed for our his country.
This was a difficult book for me to read and this is not a new genre for me.

[DuCiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, interesting, informative

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and it’s very good with the second half being more action filled than the first half.

I definitely recommend this book.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I must say I learned a lot about how the Marines operate. I learned that the Marines are extremely inefficient in operating at the upper ranks. I also learned that the Marines are extremely smart and some of the best snipers out there, even better than the famous Seal team 6. Plus, I learned a lot about this guy's life and learned that I can do everything in life, but to only do a few things great in life. Just a great book if you stomach the gory scenes of war, and some references to Oriental culture of .

I won this book as part of the Goodreads giveaways program.