The Trident: The Forging and Reforging of a Navy Seal Leader

A Navy SEAL’s highly-charged military memoir of combat, his growth as a leader, his near fatal wounds, and his remarkable recovery—a wounded warrior whose strength and fortitude have made him a national symbol

Decorated Navy SEAL Lieutenant Jason Redman served his country in Columbia, Peru, Afghanistan and Iraq, where he commanded mobility and assault forces in high-stakes special operations. In western Iraq alone, he conducted over forty capture-kill missions with his men, successfully locating more than 120 Al Qaida insurgents. In September 2007, while leading a mission against a key senior Al Qaida commander, his team was ambushed and he was critically wounded by machine-gun fire at point blank range.

During the intense recovery that followed—a years-long process that included 37 surgeries—Redman gained national media attention when he posted a sign on his door at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, warning all who entered not to “feel sorry for my wounds.” Redman’s sign became both a statement and a symbol for wounded warriors everywhere.

The Trident is an unforgettable story of resilience and one man’s determination to overcome adversity. Redman recounts his story, from his grueling SEAL training to how he found the balance between arrogance and humility all while fighting America’s enemies on far flung battlefields. He speaks candidly of the grit that helped him carry on despite grievous wounds, and of the extraordinary love and devotion of his wife, Erica, and family, without whom he would not have survived.

Vivid and powerful, emotionally resonant and illuminating, filled with sixteen pages of photos, The Trident traces the evolution of a modern warrior, husband, and father—a man who has come to embody the never-say-die spirit that defines America’s elite fighting force.

Redman’s story is a powerful look at the costs of war and the depths of human resilience, detailing:

• Frontline Combat Leadership: An inside account of leading over forty capture-kill missions against Al Qaida insurgents on the intense battlefields of Iraq.
• A Wounded Warrior’s Journey: The harrowing story of surviving a point-blank ambush and enduring 37 surgeries with unyielding determination.
• The Bethesda Sign: How a simple, handwritten sign on a hospital door became a national symbol of strength and fortitude for service members everywhere.
• Unbreakable Family Bonds: A candid look at the extraordinary love and devotion of his wife, Erica, and family, whose support was critical to his survival.

Jason Redman is a retired Navy Lieutenant who spent eleven years as an enlisted Navy SEAL and ten years as a SEAL officer. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, the Purple Heart, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, five Navy Achievement Medals, and two Combat Action Ribbons, along with earning the US Army Ranger Tab. After being severely wounded in Iraq in 2007, Redman returned to active duty before retiring in 2013. He is the author of the memoir The Trident, which was a New York Times bestseller.

John R. Bruning is the coauthor of the critically acclaimed Outlaw Platoon (with Sean Parnell) and of House to House (with David Bellavia). He wrote dispatches from the field while embedded with an infantry unit in post-Katrina New Orleans, and received the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Award for Journalism from the Department of Defense for an article he wrote while embedded with the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade’s TF-Brawler in Afghanistan. He lives in Oregon.