Wine Country Marines Announces Guest of Honor for the 250th Marine Corps Birthday Ball

James Brown
6 days ago
3 min read

Sonoma, California – November 1, 2025 | Jacuzzi Vineyards

Wine Country Marines is proud to announce that Chief Warrant Officer 3 Angelo “AJ” Pasciuti, USMC (Ret.) will serve as the Guest of Honor at the 250th United States Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Sonoma, California, on Saturday, November 1, 2025, hosted at the iconic Jacuzzi Vineyards.

This year’s celebration marks not only the Corps’ historic 250th birthday, but also the enduring legacy of Marines whose leadership, sacrifice, and commitment have shaped the force we know today.

Few exemplify that legacy more than Gunner AJ Pasciuti.

Gunner Pasciuti retired from the Marine Corps after 22 years of distinguished service, leaving behind a record of leadership across some of the most elite and demanding communities in the Corps.

AJ began his career as a Scout Sniper with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines (3/5) during the Iraq War. He led his sniper team on dozens of missions, including the high-profile hunt for “Juba,” a notorious enemy sniper. AJ holds the distinction of being the only American service member since Vietnam to embark on a dedicated sniper-vs-sniper hunt mission. His leadership was instrumental in neutralizing that threat and recovering a captured Marine M40A1 sniper rifle.
He went on to serve as an Instructor at the 1st Marine Division Scout Sniper School, then as a Team Leader and Platoon Sergeant with both 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion and 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company, deploying to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and later with the 24th MEU’s Maritime Raid Force.
AJ played a critical role at the Recon Training Company, where he helped modernize both the Basic Reconnaissance Course and the Recon Team Leaders Course, ensuring future Marines were better prepared for modern battlefields.
In 2017, AJ was selected for the highly competitive Marine Gunner program, serving first as the Battalion Gunner and Operations Officer for 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines (3/3) on deployments across the Indo-Pacific. He later transitioned to SOI-West’s Infantry Training Battalion, where he helped design and implement the Infantry Marine Course—a Commandant of the Marine Corps initiative that has fundamentally reshaped how infantry Marines are trained and prepared for 21st-century conflict.

A Historic Connection: Marines in Sonoma

Sonoma holds a unique place in Marine Corps history. In 1846, Marine officer Archibald Gillespie arrived in California on a mission that helped shape the American West. Known as the “Father of Recon,” Gillespie was a spy, messenger, and combat leader whose presence in Sonoma during the Bear Flag Revolt gave confidence to American settlers and helped pave the way for U.S. control of California. Gillespie’s actions made him perhaps the first “Wine Country Marine,” and his influence extended well beyond the battlefield—he would later serve as the first mayor of San Francisco, establish its police force, and advise President Lincoln.

Now, nearly two centuries later, another Marine returns to Sonoma whose impact directly echoes that of Archibald Gillespie—CWO3 Angelo “AJ” Pasciuti. Over the years, Sonoma has proudly hosted some of the Corps’ most distinguished leaders, including two Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, several Commandants, and a former Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.

But Gillespie and Pasciuti are connected in a unique way: Gillespie has long been regarded as the “Father of Recon”, laying the foundation for Marine reconnaissance during the birth of California itself. Pasciuti, in turn, carried that legacy forward into the 21st century—securing the future of Recon and shaping the modernization of Marine infantry training for generations to come.

Their stories, separated by nearly 180 years, represent two defining moments where iconic Marines with deep ties to Reconnaissance shaped both the Corps and the history of Sonoma.

Honoring Service and Legacy

CWO3 Pasciuti’s career reflects the very best of the Marine Corps: courage in combat, dedication to training the next generation, and a relentless drive to innovate for the future of the Corps. His presence as Guest of Honor will lend tremendous meaning to this milestone celebration.

The 250th Marine Corps Birthday Ball promises to be an unforgettable evening, uniting Marines, veterans, families, and community members in honor of the Corps’ storied history and bright future.