In 1987, the US (United States) Congress passed the Nunn-Cohen Agreement, which created United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). That year, each Service was asked to contribute units-of-action to create US Special Operations Forces (USSOF). The Marine Corps was notoriously the only service to not contribute to USSOCOM, by refusing to allow any of their units-of-action to become USSOF. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003, the US needed to increase the capacity of their USSOF to conduct global operations in support of the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the Marine Corps to create a unit of-action to contribute to the GWOT through USSOCOM. Unlike the US Army Rangers, US Army Special Forces, US Navy SEALs, and various US Air Force units, who were integrated into USSOCOM during times of peace (late 1980s), the Marine Corps had to form and perform their USSOF unit-of-action during two active war zones. This “Interview with the Author,” discusses leadership with the author John Dailey on his book Tough Rugged Bastards: A Memoir of a Life in Marine Special Operations, detailing the creation of Marine Corps Special Operations Command.