Roll of Honor
Michael Joseph Watts
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
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Michael Joseph Watts served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Staff Sergeant Michael Joseph Watts is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 653 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
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.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Joseph Watts's cause is highlighted.
How Michael Joseph Watts Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Joseph Watts is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
40 officers from United States Air Force Security Forces are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
