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. Instead, he made a choice that defined his character—he stayed deployed to lead his team.

But the war wasn't over when the deployment ended. Back home, Timothy faced something harder than combat: uncontrollable rage, traumatic brain injury, and the struggle to find purpose. Then, unexpectedly, he picked up a paintbrush.

In this episode, AJ sits down with Timothy to explore his unlikely journey from bombs to canvas—and how a single painting of a female warrior reconnected a suicidal Marine with her daughter, leading her to therapy, recovery, and reconnection with her family. Timothy shares how his art went viral on cruise ships, how his work will be etched into marble at the Marine Corps EOD Monument at Quantico, and what it means when the tools that kept you alive in war become tools that destroy you in peace.

This is a story about transformation, the power of vulnerability, and finding a new way to serve.

Guest Information — Timothy Colomer

Gunnery Sergeant Timothy Colomer is a retired U.S. Marine EOD Technician who served multiple deployments including one combat deployment in Iraq. On December 11, 2006, he sustained severe blast injuries from a daisy-chain IED that fractured his helmet and caused traumatic brain injury—yet chose to remain deployed to lead his team. After leaving active duty, Colomer transitioned to professional artist, using his work to process trauma and support fellow veterans. His paintings have reconnected suicidal Marines with their families, gone viral globally, and will be permanently etched into marble on the EOD Obelisk at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia (unveiling May 2027).

Find Timothy online: Art Portfolio: www.littledogartstudios.com Instagram: @littledogartstudioshouston

Host Information — AJ Pasciuti

AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner) with 21 years of service and multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life and the host and creator of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans share honest, unfiltered stories of service, leadership, combat experience, and life after war. Through Combat Story, AJ's mission is to capture the real moments that shaped warriors—not invented drama, but the specific incidents and choices that define character—and to honor the lineage and lessons of military service.

Find AJ online: Book (Darkhorse): https://ajpasciuti.com/darkhorse Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com Instagram: @ajpasciuti LinkedIn: /angelo-pasciuti Combat Story Podcast: https://combatstory.com