Major Paul R. Watson is a native of Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 2010, he graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a Mathematics Minor. In November 2015, he graduated OCS and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Second Lieutenant Watson attended The Basic School and the Infantry Officer Course in 2016. After graduation, he reported to 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, Camp Pendleton, California where he was assigned as a Rifle Platoon Commander in Company A. He deployed to Okinawa, Japan as the helicopter company in support of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) from November 2017 - May 2018. Upon redeployment, First Lieutenant Watson was assigned as the Company Executive Officer and deployed to Marine Rotational Force-Darwin in Darwin, Australia from May 2019 - October 2019 as the Helicopter Raid Force company. First Lieutenant Watson assumed command of Company A from October 2019 - December 2019.
Captain Watson reported to The Basic School in January 2020 and served as urban operations instructor until September 2020. From September 2020 - April 2021, he was assigned as Staff Platoon Commander, Fox Company, Basic Officer Course 6-20, and was awarded officer instructor of the cycle. In April 2021, he joined the Infantry Officer Course faculty as the Offense/Defense FEX and Mechanized Assault Course primary instructor. Following his time instructing at the Infantry Officer Course, Captain Watson attended Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia, and graduated in May 2023 as a Distinguished Graduate.
Captain Watson reported to 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, Twentynine Palms, California in June 2023 and assumed command of Company L, the "maturity quotient" task-organized company supporting Force Design 2030 Infantry Battalion Experiment Phase II experimentation. He deployed to Unit Deployment Program - West (UDP-W) 25.1 in Okinawa, Japan from October 2024 - April 2025.
In June 2025, Major Watson checked in to 2d Battalion, 23d Marine Regiment where he is currently serving as the Inspector-Instructor for Weapons Company, located in Seal Beach, California.
Major Watson's personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star in lieu of second award and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star in lieu of second award.