Jason Delgado knows the mean streets. He survived them as a kid during the height of the crack epidemic that ravaged the South Bronx, while friends and family fell into the violence wrought by the drug plague. As a young man he survived them again - a different type of "mean streets" -- this time as a lead sniper during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In his powerful memoir, BOUNTY HUNTER 4/3: My Life in Combat from Marine Scout Sniper to MARSOC (St. Martin's Press, on sale October 3, 2017, $27.99), co-authored with Chris Martin, Delgado recounts how surviving the Bronx was crucial for lessons needed for surviving Iraq, and just as important to him, discovering who he was as shaped by his lifelong battles here and abroad.

With drugs and gangs all around him in the Bronx of the 1980s-1990s, Delgado knew his survival depended on getting out. The United States Marine Corps beckoned. Initially Delgado struggled to get up to speed, and his street tough mentality wasn't always the best trait to exhibit. Delgado, though, has always been a survivor and that suited him well. His well-honed instincts helped him rise through the ranks until he found himself one of the service's esteemed Scout Snipers.

His reward? Being thrown into the hellfire that was, and still is, the war in Iraq. In that arena of battle, Delgado proved himself time and again to be one the most fearless Marines on the ground. And as a sniper, his performances were taking on legendary and cult-like status. His efforts on the field of battle turned numerous skirmishes in favor of the U.S. forces, in particular the nightmare that was becoming the Battle for Husaybah.

Upon returning home, Delgado was given an extraordinary opportunity to become MARSOC's first ever lead sniper instructor. In accepting this position, he made himself a pivotal figure in revolutionizing the way special operations snipers trained and operated. But even as he accomplished so much on the field of battle and then in training future warriors - not to mention his successful business venture stateside - he continued to struggle with understanding how these experiences transformed him into the man he is today.

Jason Delgado is a true American military hero, and an original who fought his battles on his terms, even when it ruffled feathers. That harsh upbringing, and battle-tested character, molded him into a loving father and successful entrepreneur, and a dedicated fighter against radical Islamic terrorism.