LIEUTENANT COLONEL MARK J. WATSON
Lieutenant Colonel Mark J. Watson is the Commander of Air Force Reserve Officer Training
Corps Detachment 785 located at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. He
serves as the Department Head and Professor of Aerospace Studies and leads a cadre
of Air Force instructors developing leaders of character who are prepared to fight
and win our nation’s wars.
Prior to assuming his current position, Lieutenant Colonel Watson served as a Political
Affairs Strategist and Director of Staff for the Office of the United States Country
Representative, United Kingdom. He oversaw international relations, airspace operations,
logistics and security directorates supporting 22,000 United States Forces and their
families and sustaining the special military relationship between the United States
and United Kingdom.
Additionally, he is an Air Force Continuous Process Improvement Black Belt and Innovation
Engineering Black Belt with experience standing up multiple wing spark cells.
Lieutenant Colonel Watson commissioned from the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
in 2008 after earning a degree in Management. He is a KC-135R/T Instructor Pilot with
over 600 combat hours supporting eleven named operations.
EDUCATION
- 2008 Bachelor of Science in Management, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
- 2008 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
- 2013 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
- 2016 Master of Business Administration, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma
- 2016 Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma
- 2021 Master of Arts in Military Operational Art & Science, Air Command & Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
ASSIGNMENTS
- Oct 2008 – February 2010: Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 86th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
- February 2010 – August 2010: Student, KC-135 PIQ, 54th Air Refueling Squadron, Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma
- August 2010 – April 2015: Squadron Executive Officer, Chief of Scheduling, Operations Group Training Instructor Pilot, 100th Operations Group, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
- April 2015 – August 2018: Flight Commander, Deputy Chief of Wing Commander’s Action Group, Chief of Wing Innovation, Flying Training Unit Instructor Pilot, 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma
- August 2018 – July 2020: Chief of Operations Group Training, Chief Wing Executive Officer, Instructor Pilot, 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington
- July 2020 – June 2021: Student, Air Command & Staff College (residence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
- June 2021 – March 2024: Deputy Division Chief, International Relations Division, Office of the United States Country Representative - United Kingdom, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
- March 2024 – June 2025: Director of Staff, Office of the United States Country Representative - United Kingdom, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
- June 2025 – Present: Commander, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 785, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee
FLIGHT INFOMATION
Rating: Instructor Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 2,000
Aircraft Flown: KC-135, C-17A, T-6, T-1
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
- Meritorious Service Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
- Air Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Commendation Medal
- Air and Space Achievement Medal
- Meritorious Unit Award with 1 oak leaf cluster
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 4 oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
- National Defense Service Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Air & Space Campaign Medal
- Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border with 1 oak leaf cluster
- NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
- Second Lieutenant May 28, 2008
- First Lieutenant May 28, 2010
- Captain May 28, 2012
- Major Dec 01, 2017
- Lieutenant Colonel Mar 01, 2023
- (Current as of July 2025)