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

cylindrical object peeked out from under the edge of the tarp.
“Something looks suspicious,” an EOD operator relayed to me. It was
most unwelcome news, as the stairway to the street was our only easy
means of departure.
I called a huddle with chief, our leading petty officer (LPO), and our
platoon junior officers. “We need to figure another way out of here,” I
said. That was no easy task.
From the second story, three sides of the building offered a near-
twenty-foot drop from a window or balcony straight down to the street.
We had no rope. Jumping with all our gear and heavy equipment was
likely to result in serious injury, and that same street had at least one
explosive device. We had to assume there were more.
Somebody suggested a children’s cartoon prison escape method:
“What if we tie bed sheets together and climbed down from the third-
story windows onto the rooftop next door?” It was a harebrained idea,
but under the circumstances, an option that had to be seriously
considered.
The fourth and remaining wall of the second story was solid concrete
with no windows, doors, or openings. We certainly couldn’t go around it
or over it. But we could go through it.
“Looks like it’s time to BTF,” said the LPO. It meant we were about
to tackle another serious feat of strength and toughness that would
challenge us to our physical limits. But Charlie Platoon took great pride
in accomplishing such feats. “Let’s get our sledgehammer on!”
We always carried a sledgehammer with us to make entry through
locked doors and windows when necessary. The LPO called for the
“sledge” and went to work. He began swinging the hammer with full
force against the concrete wall, each swing impacted with a loud, head-