These units work to gather information on possible terror threats, but do not actively hunt down terrorists. In addition, MLEs are not undercover. SOCOM, under then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, first deployed MLEs in 2003 under the name "Operational Control Elements" a term changed in 2005 because it raised the hackles of regional commanders and ambassadors. MLEs were first introduced to the general public by a New York Times expose.