These elements agreed to form a Baghdad-based, 500-man battalion by integrating militiamen from five (5) Political Parties: Iraqi National Accord (INA), Iraqi National Congress (INC), Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI).

[8] In late 2003, the CJSOTF-AP (Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula) made plans to put the 36th CDO BN under the control of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Force (ICTF).

[9] The unit changed its name to the 1st Commando Battalion after the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) Brigade was created in July 2005.

[9] During the war against the Islamic State in 2017, the battalion was known to be militarily and politically reliable as they fought ISIL fighters instead of abandoning their positions[10] unlike other military units like the Iraqi Army's 2nd Division.

[11] 36th CDO BN forces were involved in Najaf in August 2004, nearly raiding Sadr's hideout if he did not choose to give up.