James A. Watson

James Angus Watson IV (born April 30, 1956) is a retired United States Coast Guard Rear Admiral. He currently serves as a senior vice president at the American Bureau of Shipping.

Education and career Watson became Deputy Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command in April 2010. Among his duties is Federal On Scene Coordinator of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He succeeded Mary Landry on June 1, 2010 in that position. He had been her deputy.

He first graduated with honors from Mount Saint Joe in 1974 followed by the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering. He received Master of Science degrees in 1985 in Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture from the University of Michigan. He received a Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Personal In the 2024 United States presidential election, Watson endorsed Kamala Harris.

Command events 2003 Al-Qaeda attack on SS Norway during Top-Off 2 in Miami BP Deepwater Horizon cleanup