Tom Watson is a third generation Naval Academy graduate whose grandfather was killed in action in World War II and whose father was an aviator, aircraft carrier CO and retired Rear Admiral.  Tom is a retired Naval Officer and was also a flight officer who served three operational tours in the F-14 Tomcat including Desert Shield and as an instructor.  A graduate of TOPGUN and the US Naval Test Pilot School, Tom performed flight testing at NAS Point Mugu for the F-14 and F/A-18 aircraft amassing nearly 3000 flight hours in tactical jets and almost 500 carrier arrested landings during his Naval career.  Tom was nominated for the NASA Astronaut program and held the highest available security clearance.  Tom’s experience in the Navy in both the operational and acquisition communities gives him a unique perspective and understanding of the challenges faced by our military.

 

Tom’s education includes a Bachelor of Science from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the US Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA.  Tom is also a graduate of the prestigious US Naval Test Pilot School and the Navy Fighter Weapons School, TOPGUN.