Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

and efficient, always watching, analyzing, and looking for weaknesses to
exploit. If U.S. forces were to win in Ramadi, I saw right away that all of
us—U.S. conventional Army and Marine units and Special Operations
units like our SEALs in Task Unit Bruiser—had to work together and
support each other. Unfortunately, there were a small number of U.S.
special operations units, including some SEALs, who viewed themselves
as a cut above regular U.S. Army Soldiers and Marines and would only
operate independently. That cockiness produced some conventional
Army and Marine commanders who didn’t like special operations units.
But if U.S. forces were to win this difficult fight here in Ramadi, we
would all need to check our egos and work together.
From our earliest arrival, we established the precedent that in TU
Bruiser we would treat our Army and Marine brothers-and sisters-in-
arms with nothing but the highest professional respect and courtesy.
SEAL units are sometimes known for long hair and sloppy uniforms. But
to conventional units, appearance was a measure of professionalism. In
Task Unit Bruiser, I insisted that our uniforms be squared away and our
haircuts military regulation. We sought ways to work together with these
units in support of one another. The goal was simple: secure and
stabilize Ramadi. With this attitude of humility and mutual respect, we
forged strong relationships with the Army and Marine battalions and
companies that owned the battlespace in and around Ramadi. We took
great risks to patrol deep into enemy territory to provide sniper support
and protect friendly troops in the streets. Those Soldiers and Marines, in
turn, constantly put their troops at risk to come help us with heavy fire
support—M1A2 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles—and
casualty evacuations when we needed it.
After a month on the ground in Ramadi, Task Unit Bruiser had made