Captain Jason Tarrant is a native of Valdosta, GA. He enlisted into the Navy Nuclear Power Program as an Electrician’s Mate and deployed twice aboard USS Batfish (SSN 681) in support of North Sea Arctic patrols and counter-drug operations in USSOUTHCOM.

Captain Tarrant was selected for Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and graduated and commissioned through Tulane University’s NROTC program with a Bachelor of Science in Management Finance and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Tulane University in 2002. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College with a designator in Irregular Warfare. He is also a two-time graduate of the Navy Nuclear Power Program.

Captain Tarrant commanded Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37 assigned to Carrier Air Wing EIGHT in support of 2nd Fleet Operations and served as Executive Officer of USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH (CVN 77). Other sea duty assignments include Sea Control Squadron 22 (VS-22), VFA-105 and VFA-115. He has completed multiple deployments aboard USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73), USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75) and USS GERALD R. FORD (CVN 78) in support of the Partnership of the Americas, UNITAS 2007, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM and NEW DAWN and six Western Pacific patrols with Forward Deployed Naval Forces in USINDOPACOM.

Ashore, Captain Tarrant served as the J-1 Director of Personnel and Integrated Missile Defense Watch Commander to US Strategic Command, Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense (USSTRATCOM JFCC-IMD) in Colorado Springs, CO. He was recognized as the USSTRATCOM JFCC-IMD 2016 Field Grade Officer of the Year and is a qualified Ground-Based Midcourse Ballistic Missile Defense Officer.

Captain Tarrant is a qualified Naval Aviator, with more than 2,800 flight hours in the S-3B and F/A-18E and has accumulated over 550 carrier arrested landings. His awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Strike Flight Air Medal and various campaign and unit awards.