Bruce Watson

CAPTAIN, UNITED STATES NAVY (RET.)

 

Bruce Watson is a graduate of the University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program in May 1979, and was designated a Naval Aviator in November 1980.

 

His first flying assignment in 1981 was to Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, Washington as a search and rescue (SAR) pilot. In 1983, he joined the “Black Stallion’s” of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron FOUR (HC-4), where as a plank owner he helped establish the Navy’s first heavy lift CH-53E logistics squadron operating from NAS Sigonella, Italy. After which, he joined the “Vigilant Eagles” of Helicopter Training Squadron EIGHTEEN (HT-18), at NAS Whiting Field, Milton, Florida, where he served as a Flight Instructor and earned a Masters of Science degree in International Relations from Troy State University. In August 1989, he returned to HC-4 where he served as Operations Officer and was Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of numerous detachments, including those participating in OPERATION SHARP EDGE (Liberia), OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD and STORM, and OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT (Northern Iraq).

 

Between 1991 and 1996, Bruce Watson was the Operations Officer for Helicopter Tactical Wing ONE, in Norfolk, Virginia, attended the Air Command and Staff College, at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and was a Mobility Analyst for the Chief of Naval Operations, in Washington, D.C. 

 

In 1996, he joined the “Eightballers” of Helicopter Training Squadron EIGHT (HT-8) as first Executive Officer and then Commanding Officer. After completing his command tour he was Airboss aboard USS INCHON (MCS 12) in Ingleside, Texas. Bruce Watson was promoted to Captain in 2000, and was assigned as the Executive Officer of Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) in Pensacola, Florida. In 2005, Captain Watson began a three year tour as the Naval Attaché to Bangkok, Thailand. His last Navy assignment was as the first Director of the Metrics and Analytics Support Division with the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Millington, Tennessee. Captain Watson retired from the Navy in June 2009.

 

In 2010, after serving on the Board of Directors, he accepted the position as the Executive Director of Independence for the Blind of West Florida, Inc., in Pensacola, Florida. In July 2012 he was selected to be the Executive Director of the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County.

 

He is supported in everything he does by his lovely wife Nguyen Huệ Watson of Pensacola.