---
title: "Search procedure with room owners"
description: "A disciplined, repeatable method for collecting evidence quickly."
canonical: https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/extreme-ownership/search-procedure-with-room-owners/
updated: 2026-11-03
---

# Search procedure with room owners

> A disciplined, repeatable method for collecting evidence quickly.

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin's framework, from Extreme Ownership, pp. 183 to 261.

Framework 6 of 6 from [Extreme Ownership](https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/extreme-ownership/index.md) by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. Category: Life and thinking.

## The steps

1. **Assign roles.** One sketches the layout, one labels rooms, one photographs evidence.
2. **Name a room owner.** One operator owns everything in each room.
3. **Search floor up.** Search systematically so nothing is missed or dumped on the floor.
4. **Bag and label.** Keep evidence by room with the finder's name.
5. **Mark rooms done.** Put an X through each searched room number.
6. **Hand over with chain of custody.** The room owner hands evidence to intelligence back at base.

## Where it comes from

From chapter: III. Sustaining Victory, pp. 183–261

## The animation

24 seconds, 4:5, no sound.

- MP4: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/extreme-ownership/search-procedure-with-room-owners.mp4
- MP4, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/extreme-ownership/search-procedure-with-room-owners-dark.mp4
- Still: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/extreme-ownership/search-procedure-with-room-owners.png
- Still, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/extreme-ownership/search-procedure-with-room-owners-dark.png