Capt. James "J.J." Watson

Capt. James “J.J.” Watson is a graduate of U.S. Naval Academy class of 199. He is a Navy Information Warfare Community (IWC) officer and Navy Space Cadre officer.

Capt. Watson’s first sea tour was as a SH-60F Seahawk helicopter pilot with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squardron (HS) 7, flying sorties for Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). He later served as the combat systems division officer and information assurance manager aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) in Yokosuka, Japan, and was selected into the information professional community. On the West Coast, he served as the communications officer for Commander Strike Force Training Pacific (Carrier Strike Group 15) in Coronado, California, embarking all U.S. 3rd Fleet (C3F) aircraft carriers and amphibious ships for pre-deployment certification.

His operational shore and staff assignments include program manager for advanced concepts in the Survivability Assurance Office (SAO) in the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in Chantilly, Virginia, coordinating national space-based intelligence capabilities; deputy director of Space, Cyber, and Communications (Deputy N6) at C3F in San Diego, responsible for the operational communications capabilities for all West Coast ships; and network operations chief, J64, at U.S. Forces Korea in Seoul, South Korea, with C2 system responsibility for all U.S. and allied forces on the Korean peninsula. He also served as the chief of staff of Joint Force Space Component Command, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Capt. Watson holds a Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies, highest distinction, from the Naval War College, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from National War College. His academic and professional affiliations include the Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Research (CRUSER), Directed Energy Professional Society (DEPS), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), and Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA).

Capt. Watson’s personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and Navy Achievement Medal.