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

combat outpost in enemy territory and take those neighborhoods back.
When Jocko showed me the slide he had built, it all came together
for me for the first time. Though I had been directly involved in the
planning of almost all of these missions, had been on the ground leading
a team of operators, coordinated with the other elements on the
battlefield, and had written detailed reports of what had happened after
each mission, I still had not linked them all together nor considered the
strategic impact they had had. But now, Jocko’s brief captured in simple
terms all that had been accomplished in the Battle of Ramadi.
This was a striking realization: I was Charlie Platoon commander,
second in seniority only to Jocko in Task Unit Bruiser. And yet,
immersed in the details of the tactical operations, I had not fully
appreciated or understood how those operations so directly contributed
to the strategic mission with spectacular results beyond anyone’s wildest
dreams.
“Damn,” I said to Jocko. “I never really put it all together like that
before.” This one slide made it immediately clear why we had done what
we had done. While this knowledge could never ease the pain endured by
the loss of incredible SEAL friends and teammates, it certainly helped to
put in perspective why we had taken such risk and what had been
accomplished.
As platoon commander, I had detailed insight into the planning and
coordination with the Army and Marine battalions and companies that
was far beyond most of the SEAL operators in my platoon. Yet, if I
didn’t fully comprehend or appreciate the strategic impact of what we
had done, how could I expect my frontline troops—my junior SEAL
operators not in a leadership role—to get it? The answer: I couldn’t. For
a young SEAL shooter with a very limited role in the planning process