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Tough Rugged Bastards: A Memoir of a Life in Marine Special Operations
Tough, Rugged Bastards is the memoir of an ordinary guy who seized an extraordinary opportunity to become one of the most elite warfighters in America during the most volatile times in the Global War on Terror.
Following the 9/11 attacks, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the Marine Corps to establish a unit that would answer to US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The eighty-six-man “Detachment One” was formed with a two-year charter to train and deploy as a “proof-of-concept” to assess the viability of a larger Marine Special Operations contribution in support of the Global War on Terror.
For such a departure from the norm, a special leader was needed. The Commanding Officer—Colonel Robert J. Coates, a Marine Force Recon legend—was given his pick of personnel. One of the four team leaders he selected was Gunnery Sergeant John A. Dailey. Coates gave Dailey and the others free rein to select their men from a crew of proven Force Recon Marines with the sole stipulation that they “Tough, rugged bastards with strong backs and hard feet.”
These men built a unit from nothing, trained for unknown missions in an unknown location, and deployed amid controversy and skepticism. Once in Iraq, they were dubbed “Task Unit Raider” and quickly won over the naysayers who doubted the Marine’s ability to operate successfully in the fluid and unconventional special operations environment.
This book tells Dailey’s story of the creation, training, and volatile 2004 Iraq deployment of Task Unit Raider that led to the creation of the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Det-1 served as the bridge between the Raiders of WWII and the Marine Raiders of today.
Following the 9/11 attacks, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the Marine Corps to establish a unit that would answer to US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The eighty-six-man “Detachment One” was formed with a two-year charter to train and deploy as a “proof-of-concept” to assess the viability of a larger Marine Special Operations contribution in support of the Global War on Terror.
For such a departure from the norm, a special leader was needed. The Commanding Officer—Colonel Robert J. Coates, a Marine Force Recon legend—was given his pick of personnel. One of the four team leaders he selected was Gunnery Sergeant John A. Dailey. Coates gave Dailey and the others free rein to select their men from a crew of proven Force Recon Marines with the sole stipulation that they “Tough, rugged bastards with strong backs and hard feet.”
These men built a unit from nothing, trained for unknown missions in an unknown location, and deployed amid controversy and skepticism. Once in Iraq, they were dubbed “Task Unit Raider” and quickly won over the naysayers who doubted the Marine’s ability to operate successfully in the fluid and unconventional special operations environment.
This book tells Dailey’s story of the creation, training, and volatile 2004 Iraq deployment of Task Unit Raider that led to the creation of the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Det-1 served as the bridge between the Raiders of WWII and the Marine Raiders of today.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 13, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 22, 2024
Tough, Rugged Bastards by John A. Dailey offers an authentic and compelling memoir that delves into the life of a Marine in the formation of the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Dailey chronicles his experiences in Detachment One, an elite unit formed in response to the 9/11 attacks. In a war where so many joined in response to 9/11, Dailey was already well into his Marine Corps career which offers a perspective that is both unique and not often heard from. He delivers a gripping and intense tale that delves into the psychological toll of war. Dailey's writing is visceral and immersive, plunging the reader into the heart of combat. Through vivid storytelling, he brings to life the rigorous training, intense camaraderie, and the high-stakes missions in Iraq. The book not only showcases the bravery and resilience of these Marines but also provides an insightful look into the evolution of modern special operations. Dailey's firsthand account is both gritty and inspiring, highlighting the mental and physical challenges faced by those in the unit. It stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of the Marines, their impressive ability to adapt to new times, and their crucial role in contemporary warfare. A must-read for those interested in military history and special operations.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
May 19, 2024
This is an intriguing and multi-layered memoir. Framed as a man's eye-view of the creation of a US Marine Corps special operations unit, Tough Rugged Bastards has plenty in it to appeal to military history buffs. Good firsthand accounts like this offer a greater degree of granularity than top-down views of a historical moment, and that alone tends to make them both valuable and highly engaging. But for people like me who have only a passing interest in military history, there's plenty more here besides.
Chapter by chapter, moment by moment, we follow a narrative eye in motion: examining materiel here, a training manoevre there, and now a dangerous mission in occupied Iraq. A less thoughtful narrator might be satisfied with simply recording the great dramas and intimate minutiae of deployment, fascinating as they are, adding only a splash of patriotic doctrine for colour. But Dailey ranges more broadly, and digs deeper. A discussion of a challenging training exercise will give way to a considered analysis of what gives hardship value. The tense, compelling description of a deadly manhunt will end in a sombre meditation on the human compulsion for violence. All is undercut with a humour that is wry and knowing, if never subversive. It's a testament to the range of this memoir that I, currently retraining as counsellor--that's about as far from being a soldier as you're likely to get in the professional sphere--found a curious degree of symmetry between some of the ideas on display here and my own studies on personal growth and intrinsic value.
And if nothing else, if you read this book, you'll probably end up a converted and card-carrying rucker, like me. If Tough Rugged Bastards taught me anything, it's that there are far worse ways to spend the day than strapping a big weight to your back and walking 'til it aches.
Chapter by chapter, moment by moment, we follow a narrative eye in motion: examining materiel here, a training manoevre there, and now a dangerous mission in occupied Iraq. A less thoughtful narrator might be satisfied with simply recording the great dramas and intimate minutiae of deployment, fascinating as they are, adding only a splash of patriotic doctrine for colour. But Dailey ranges more broadly, and digs deeper. A discussion of a challenging training exercise will give way to a considered analysis of what gives hardship value. The tense, compelling description of a deadly manhunt will end in a sombre meditation on the human compulsion for violence. All is undercut with a humour that is wry and knowing, if never subversive. It's a testament to the range of this memoir that I, currently retraining as counsellor--that's about as far from being a soldier as you're likely to get in the professional sphere--found a curious degree of symmetry between some of the ideas on display here and my own studies on personal growth and intrinsic value.
And if nothing else, if you read this book, you'll probably end up a converted and card-carrying rucker, like me. If Tough Rugged Bastards taught me anything, it's that there are far worse ways to spend the day than strapping a big weight to your back and walking 'til it aches.
August 31, 2024
“Tough Rugged Bastards” by John Dailey may be one of the best military memoirs I’ve read to date. This book reads like a novel and each chapter pulls you into his world with exquisite detail and expert storytelling in a way that makes the reader feel as if they were apart of these missions. Dailey writes in a way that is both reflective and poetic and if a memoir about war can be beautiful, well, this one is. I learned quite a bit about Marine special operations and their role during the global war on terror. Definitely add this to your library as it is an excellent read!
July 12, 2024
Just finished Tough Rugged Bastards by John A. Dailey and I have mixed emotions. There were some parts of this book that were written incredibly, but taken as a whole... overall, it wasn't. While the title states that this is the memoir of a life in USMC SpecOps.
The overwhelming fact is that you don't really realize WHAT the book is about until you're almost done, and you're left asking... that's it? It's not a memoir of a life, though there are elements of that. It's really just the story of how Det 1 came to be and their single deployment to Iraq. Which is fine! I love that as a topic! Except... it does such an uneven job covering that, that you literally learn almost as much, if not more, by a quick glance at the Wikipedia article about it.
The author is a GOOD writer, very deft with prose and storytelling, which comes across page after page. The problem is that he has a tendency to constantly digress away from the point of the story and wander all over time and thought without any sense of cohesion. He has the tendency to play loose and fast with time, ex: you're talking about his first days in the marines, and the next you're getting a lecture on ultramarathon running after his retirement, and it's such a jarring left turn that you're scratching your head wondering WHY, why is that here and not at the end? It starts off with a tale of Afghanistan and you're like GREAT! Let's hear more about that, but don't expect to because he'll only reference Afghanistan here and there, but not really discuss it. Same with his Embassy duties.
But the worst part is that he has a tendency to be hyper specific about things that could be talked about less, and tends to wax poetic and barely glance at things that should have been the crux of the book! You'll learn a lot about Stoicism and how to be a good instructor but when he talks about the battle of Najaf where "proceeded to demoralize the militiaman by "wiping out" dozens of enemy combatants, confusing them as to the point of origin of the unrelenting lethal fire... kept their marksman on their SR-25s around the clock" (per wiki) you really only get detail about the first shot fired, and then... nothing else really. You get some good detail about looking for 3 bombers, but it's really just a small part of the book when compared to how deep he goes into selecting gear and training and whatever else is on his mind at that moment. Especially about what it means to be a warrior. He goes deep into that multiple times, and what it takes to be a good Operator and a good this and that and that's fine, but when that is such a huge part of the book, and being in Iraq, Afghanistan, a scout sniper, a member of force recon, and the rest isn't, well there's a jarring imbalance. It's not his memoir, it's a good overview of how Det One/Raiders started, the schools, and his thoughts... with a couple of stories about the rest.
The overwhelming fact is that you don't really realize WHAT the book is about until you're almost done, and you're left asking... that's it? It's not a memoir of a life, though there are elements of that. It's really just the story of how Det 1 came to be and their single deployment to Iraq. Which is fine! I love that as a topic! Except... it does such an uneven job covering that, that you literally learn almost as much, if not more, by a quick glance at the Wikipedia article about it.
The author is a GOOD writer, very deft with prose and storytelling, which comes across page after page. The problem is that he has a tendency to constantly digress away from the point of the story and wander all over time and thought without any sense of cohesion. He has the tendency to play loose and fast with time, ex: you're talking about his first days in the marines, and the next you're getting a lecture on ultramarathon running after his retirement, and it's such a jarring left turn that you're scratching your head wondering WHY, why is that here and not at the end? It starts off with a tale of Afghanistan and you're like GREAT! Let's hear more about that, but don't expect to because he'll only reference Afghanistan here and there, but not really discuss it. Same with his Embassy duties.
But the worst part is that he has a tendency to be hyper specific about things that could be talked about less, and tends to wax poetic and barely glance at things that should have been the crux of the book! You'll learn a lot about Stoicism and how to be a good instructor but when he talks about the battle of Najaf where "proceeded to demoralize the militiaman by "wiping out" dozens of enemy combatants, confusing them as to the point of origin of the unrelenting lethal fire... kept their marksman on their SR-25s around the clock" (per wiki) you really only get detail about the first shot fired, and then... nothing else really. You get some good detail about looking for 3 bombers, but it's really just a small part of the book when compared to how deep he goes into selecting gear and training and whatever else is on his mind at that moment. Especially about what it means to be a warrior. He goes deep into that multiple times, and what it takes to be a good Operator and a good this and that and that's fine, but when that is such a huge part of the book, and being in Iraq, Afghanistan, a scout sniper, a member of force recon, and the rest isn't, well there's a jarring imbalance. It's not his memoir, it's a good overview of how Det One/Raiders started, the schools, and his thoughts... with a couple of stories about the rest.
October 18, 2024
I had the privilege of reading John Dailey’s essay “Death Letter” in Consequence Magazine in Spring 2019. The piece was powerful in its honesty and reflection. Recently, I reached out to John to ask about his writing process and if the essay contributed to the development of Tough Rugged Bastards. I was not surprised to learn that “Death Letter” was the impetus for the book; I encourage others to check it out. Given the moving response I had to his essay, I have been looking forward to reading Tough Rugged Bastards.
A formal definition of memoir is “a narrative composed from personal experience.” I totally agree with that and add that my multipart definition of memoir is “a written work that invites the reader into dialogue, engages in present awareness, explores self-reflection, seeks to understand, and tries its damndest at sensemaking.” My favorite memoirs inspire and Tough Rugged Bastards inspires me.
John’s writing is concise and precise and is coupled with a unique rhythm and ease. I can’t help but think that his career as a sniper and the conditions in which he had to “slow the pace and slow the breathing” informs his writing style. He has a gift of consistency in his style which makes his reflection, introspection, balance of heaviness and humor as well as the technical, military, situational, and historical contexts feel, for me as the reader, seamless, authentic, and relatable.
Even though I have never served in the military or have been in combat, I am right there in the middle of the dialogue of one of the memoir’s most compelling through lines: “It’s hard to pretend to be immortal when your life is in someone else’s hands.” It’s not the details of the mil specs, maneuvers, firefights, and sleepless nights that make this memoir a memoir; it’s the whole and grounded narrative he creates out of his well-crafted mission to make sense of the different parts of his journey. This stands out most for me within another of the through lines in the acknowledgement of the weights we carry, that we all carry. John shares this raw acknowledgement when he writes, “You’re not as heavy as you once were…” Many of us can relate to the complex interaction of the amalgamation and morphing of singular events, a lifetime of compounded experience, and the diffusion that comes with the passing of time.
The beauty of memoir is in its expression of personal experience. Tough Rugged Bastards will stay with me as I think about the interconnectedness of all the people we get to be through life. I have a new perspective because of John Dailey the 17 year old enlistee, the experienced Marine sniper, the husband, parent, leader, the writer in his 50s. I’ll be looking out for more of John's long format writing and follow him as he, no doubt, will continue to push himself and grow in new ways. This conversation between reader and writer will contribute to the people we’ve yet to become.
A formal definition of memoir is “a narrative composed from personal experience.” I totally agree with that and add that my multipart definition of memoir is “a written work that invites the reader into dialogue, engages in present awareness, explores self-reflection, seeks to understand, and tries its damndest at sensemaking.” My favorite memoirs inspire and Tough Rugged Bastards inspires me.
John’s writing is concise and precise and is coupled with a unique rhythm and ease. I can’t help but think that his career as a sniper and the conditions in which he had to “slow the pace and slow the breathing” informs his writing style. He has a gift of consistency in his style which makes his reflection, introspection, balance of heaviness and humor as well as the technical, military, situational, and historical contexts feel, for me as the reader, seamless, authentic, and relatable.
Even though I have never served in the military or have been in combat, I am right there in the middle of the dialogue of one of the memoir’s most compelling through lines: “It’s hard to pretend to be immortal when your life is in someone else’s hands.” It’s not the details of the mil specs, maneuvers, firefights, and sleepless nights that make this memoir a memoir; it’s the whole and grounded narrative he creates out of his well-crafted mission to make sense of the different parts of his journey. This stands out most for me within another of the through lines in the acknowledgement of the weights we carry, that we all carry. John shares this raw acknowledgement when he writes, “You’re not as heavy as you once were…” Many of us can relate to the complex interaction of the amalgamation and morphing of singular events, a lifetime of compounded experience, and the diffusion that comes with the passing of time.
The beauty of memoir is in its expression of personal experience. Tough Rugged Bastards will stay with me as I think about the interconnectedness of all the people we get to be through life. I have a new perspective because of John Dailey the 17 year old enlistee, the experienced Marine sniper, the husband, parent, leader, the writer in his 50s. I’ll be looking out for more of John's long format writing and follow him as he, no doubt, will continue to push himself and grow in new ways. This conversation between reader and writer will contribute to the people we’ve yet to become.
November 3, 2024
This book was written by a Marine in a way a marine spouse could actually understand. Knowing some of the characters mentioned in this book, it gave me a perspective into this special group of men that makes so much more sense for me. It helps explain what makes these men so uniquely special because of the type men that are required for the tasks they have their whole selves to yet were husbands, fathers, sons and friends. I really enjoyed this book and want our whole family to read it for a behind the scenes glimpse into this special unit.
August 21, 2024
Great Perspective
Insightful, informative, and a pleasure to read. Ranger does a great job weaving the philosophical and practical and the operational and tactical together. He conveys the essence of what happened in a way people who have never served and those who have shared similar experiences can both appreciate.
Insightful, informative, and a pleasure to read. Ranger does a great job weaving the philosophical and practical and the operational and tactical together. He conveys the essence of what happened in a way people who have never served and those who have shared similar experiences can both appreciate.
November 16, 2024
John gives an intimate view into the life of a Marine Special Ops and real appreciation for the mental and physical demands required to belong to an elite and very small group of people who put country above everything in their life. Thank you John for your service in protecting the freedoms we all take for granted.
April 9, 2025
A great memoir on DET One.
August 14, 2025
I didn't think I would get into this memoir as much as I did. It was engaging from the beginning, making me put it down a few times to center myself. There is so much that you have to unravel and understand while reading it.
Knowing that there are so many people in the armed forces that are going through many of the same hardships was eye opening. It is hard to wrap your head around what the armed forces go through and I feel that this made it thought provoking and understanding for the public.
Knowing that there are so many people in the armed forces that are going through many of the same hardships was eye opening. It is hard to wrap your head around what the armed forces go through and I feel that this made it thought provoking and understanding for the public.
October 14, 2024
Excellent book from start to finish! A gripping account that accuratly describes the captivating evolution of Marine Corps Special Operations. A perfectly balanced read of personal expiriences blended with historical insight. Riviting from start to finish!
Read
November 17, 2024Very interesting read!!! An inside view into the life of a marine. Thankful for the service of people like him and everyone in this unit.
December 23, 2023
This is my book, so I should be modest, but I think it's really good and I think you will too. Please preorder it. it comes out on August 13th!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews