Michael Joseph Watts
Agency patch
Staff Sergeant

Michael Joseph Watts

Veteran → Accident
End of Watch September 16, 2006
Age 25
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
The Vigil Panel 154 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Location: Montana Incident Date: Thursday, September 14, 2006

Staff Sergeant Michael Watts was killed in an automobile accident near mile marker 11 on U.S. Highway 87 near Raynesford, Montana while returning to Malmstrom AFB. Staff Sergeant Michael Watts and several members of the Tactical Response Force had been in Wyoming to represent the agency during a six-week competition and Tactical Entry School training session.

The driver of another vehicle suffered a medical emergency and lost control of her vehicle, which then clipped the government vehicle that Staff Sergeant Watts was riding in. The impact was so severe that Staff Sergeant Watts was ejected from the vehicle despite wearing a seat belt. The other two team members suffered minor injuries.

Staff Sergeant Watts was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries two days later. At the time of the accident, Staff Sergeant Watts' wife was in labor with his second child.

Staff Sergeant Watts had served with the United States Air Force Security Police for five years and was assigned to the 741st Missile Security Forces Squadron.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, two children, and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-6C70E369
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Staff Sergeant Watts gave the United States Air Force Security Forces 5 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location JBSA-Lackland, TX
Platform Identity usafsffed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 16, 2006
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 25
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Michael Joseph Watts served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Staff Sergeant Michael Joseph Watts is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In TX, 657 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27.1% of this state's fallen. That is 27.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Air Force Security Forces, 28 of 41 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 68.3% of this agency's fallen.

United States Air Force Security Forces
28
of 41 officers
68.3% Accident
TX — Statewide
657
of 2,421 officers
27.1% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Joseph Watts's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Michael Joseph Watts Compares

Age at Death
25
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
5
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Joseph Watts is highlighted in Sep.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location

Military Service

Michael Joseph Watts served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit Michael Joseph Watts’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.