Jason Redman joined the U.S. Navy in 1992, and reported for boot camp in Orlando, Fla. In August 2000, Petty Officer 1st Class Redman was one of 50 naval enlisted members selected for the prestigious Seaman to Admiral Program. He began his academic career at Old Dominion University in August 2001.
After terrorists struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, forever changing America, Redman refocused his energies to excel in school and return to the Navy as soon as possible to help make a difference in this new ambiguous warfare. His tenacity and determination paid off, and in December 2003, he was selected to serve as the student battalion commanding officer of the Hampton Roads Naval ROTC for his final semester.
While encouraging the officer candidates and midshipmen to prepare for their roles as future leaders in a wartime environment, Redman also wanted to create a larger awareness of the sacrifices that military members and their families have made since Sept. 11. Redman thus created the "Run for Freedom." On April 3, Navy and Army ROTC midshipmen and cadets, along with other ODU students, faculty and staff, joined community and military members in running the American flag nonstop on a one-mile course around the campus. Each mile, completed by a solo runner, was in honor of a single service member killed in the War on Terror. At the completion of each lap, a small flag bearing the service member's name was placed in a pegboard as a visual memorial to the more than 700 troops killed since September, 2001. This momentous event raised more than $27,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Freedom Alliance and Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, all of which provide scholarships and support for the families of fallen troops. It received local, regional and national media coverage. The success of the "Run for Freedom" was a direct reflection of the unification of a community behind a good idea for a great cause.
In May, 2004, Redman graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in business administration and was then commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy.
