CHINA LAKE, Calif. — NAWCWD vice commander, Capt. Rich Burr, recently presented Paul Watson a 40-year Length of Service award for a rewarding Navy career that began with his U.S. Navy enlistment in 1969, then continued to NAVSEA and NAVAIR.

Many of Watson’s fellow employees from various departments that included, Manufacturing and Quality, System Safety, as well as Reliability and Maintainability attended. In addition, past and present supervisors, Tim Nopp and Murlyn McGowen, regaled the audience with amusing stories about Watson.

Dan Warren, Technical Project Office lead for the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) missile program, said, “Watson worked in the JSOW Technical Project Office for four years, as a quality assurance expert. His expertise in drawings and tolerance analysis allowed him to find many issues before they became a risk to the program. His positive attitude, sense of humor, and commitment to doing the best job possible were an inspiration to the JSOW team.”

GQM-163 Target program manager, Charlie Manson, who worked with Watson on the GQM-163 Coyote Target program, stated, “Paul spent a lot of years living out of a suitcase. Some consider that a horrible life but others, like me, are jealous because I consider that a true path to wisdom for the right person. Watson is one of those ‘right persons’ who gathers experience and knowledge that cannot be found in one location. Watson is also eager to share his wisdom. I have very much enjoyed the times that Watson and I have spent together.”

Watson shared some of his work history with the award attendees. One of the most rewarding projects Watson recalled was working aboard the USS Missouri in 1983, during its post-World War II reactivation and modernization.

“It was very meaningful to me, [to work on the ship] with its rich history. I can still visualize the pictures I saw of sailors sitting on the Missouri and watching the surrender ceremony that ended WW II. It was a blast going to work every day.”

Summing up his time in service, Watson stated, “I’ve worked on one of the oldest ships in the Navy, the USS Missouri, and the Navy’s newest electronic warfare platform, the E-2D Hawkeye, so I’ve had a very blessed career.”

Watson, who was joined in the audience by his wife and daughter, was recognized as a wonderful and caring individual who is a positive influence to all around him. In his personal life over the past ten years, Watson has been involved a local church program that provides Christmas gifts to children who have a parent in the prison system. He is also on the Purposeful Outreach With Eternal Results (POWER) team that travels to Mexico once a year to build orphanages and repair homes.