Dr. R. B. Watts is a 1985 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, Captain Watts served 26 years on active duty, including serving 6 sea tours with both Navy and Coast Guard which included commanding USCGC STEADFAST (WMEC 623) and serving as the Coast Guard liaison officer to the Chief of Naval Operations. A qualified Surface Warfare Officer and Cutterman, he holds an advanced degree from the Naval War College in Strategic Studies, and Master’s degrees from Old Dominion University in History, from American Military University in International Naval Studies, the Naval Post Graduate School in Homeland Security, and a PhD from the Royal Military College of Canada in War Studies. He has written extensively on sea power and contingencies in USNI Proceedings, the Naval War College Review and other professional journals, and most recently served as the Coast Guard Chief of Contingency Operations before retiring to take a professorship at the National War College, where he teaches courses in war and statecraft, domestic policy, homeland security, military history, and irregular warfare.
FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE: Maritime Law Enforcement (drug, migrant, bilateral relations), Shipboard Operations, USN Surface Senior Staff Liaison to Chief of Naval Operations, Chief of Contingency Planning.
REGIONAL EXPERTISE: South America, Caribbean
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