Courtesy Photo | U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Joshua C. Watson, student naval aviator, Marine Aviation...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA. – U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Joshua C. Watson was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal during a ceremony hosted by Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, on Feb. 28, 2025, in recognition of his heroic actions.
Capt. Joshua Watson, received the Department of the Navy’s highest non-combat award for his courage, prompt actions, and total dedication to duty during a fatal MV-22 Osprey crash while he served as the Executive Officer for Company L, 1st Marines, Ground Combat Element, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin 23.3, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force on Aug. 27, 2023.
While serving as the Ground Force Commander for a 38-Marine element inserting to Pickertaramoor Airfield on Melville Island, 45 miles north of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, then-1st Lt. Watson and 18 of his Marines, one Sailor, and four aircrew crashed into a wooded area 2 kilometers short of the landing zone. During the descent, Watson received the brace hand and arm signal and heard the command verbally over the inter-communication system. He echoed and issued the command to brace, then physically forced his radio operator, into the brace position. The radio operator was positioned in a cabin seat close to the rear of the aircraft. When the aircraft impacted the ground, it sustained damage, causing a jet fuel leak that ignited the surrounding terrain shortly afterward, prompting immediate response efforts.
“Due to the intense fire, smoke, and debris filling the cabin, I reverted to thinking of alternate escape routes,” said Watson. “The only light piercing through the smoke came from the rear of the aircraft and this soon became the primary exit.”
Watson’s first action was to unstrap and physically awaken his radio operator, who had fallen unconscious. Despite the aircraft being on fire, Watson remained inside until his radio operator regained consciousness and safely exited the aircraft with Watson’s support. After Watson freed his radio operator from his restraints and assisted him out of the aircraft, he directed the remaining Marines onboard to evacuate, facilitating their safe departure as the situation escalated.
“After noticing that nobody was really moving, I directed the Marines to ‘leave everything and get out the back of the aircraft,’” said Watson. “As I unstrapped and untangled myself, I handed off my radio operator to another Marine towards the rear exit, checking under seats as I went to ensure no one remained trapped.”
After Watson exited the aircraft and conducted a final visual sweep, he accounted for all the Marines onboard while observing that the aircraft was mostly engulfed in flames. He determined that three Marines were missing, one Marine was critically injured, one was an urgent casualty, and numerous priority casualties had sustained injuries. Recognizing the severity of the situation, Watson took charge of the immediate search effort for the three missing personnel. He directed non-injured personnel to assist in the search to ensure that all recoverable personnel were located from the aircraft.
“Once I realized we hadn’t gotten accountability of those three Marines, my first thought was to attempt to locate them,” said Watson.
Within minutes after impact, Watson established radio communication with a mixed section of AH-1Z and UH-Y1 helicopters circling overhead, which had been escorting the assault force. He provided information on accountability, initial triage assessments, and a casualty nine-line brief. His communication facilitated timely, life-saving care for the casualties and allowed the helicopters to relay information to emergency medical services mobilizing to the crash site.
“Fortunately, we had those Marine helicopters above, because we wouldn’t have been able to start getting casualty resources to our position if that wasn’t the case,” said Watson. “They were our lifeline.”
With no viable helicopter landing zones near the crash site and no roads or trails leading to the airfield, the Marines needed to execute a ground recovery through two kilometers of unimproved, wooded terrain to Pickertaramoor Airfield. Despite sustaining a broken ankle in the crash, Watson remained proactive and forward-thinking, coordinating with all agencies involved in the recovery effort. He guided multiple rescue helicopters into position and facilitated the insertion of several medical teams. As a liaison with the medical teams, Watson ensured his Marines received appropriate care while maintaining accountability, despite the complexity of coordinating multiple elements. He constantly monitored his Marines, providing real-time updates on casualty statuses and facilitating the proper handoff of one urgent surgical and four priority casualties. Watson was the last Marine to recover and transport to Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, where he and his Marines received treatment for their injuries.
“Almost everyone was injured in the crash, but we didn’t realize the severity due to the shock, we kept checking on each other because we didn’t know the true conditions of everyone,” said Watson. “Self-aid was critical, my Marines being solid in Tactical Combat Casualty Care was essential to minimize the loss of life.”
Watson's levelheaded leadership and professionalism in the face of a chaotic and dynamic situation, despite his injuries, played a crucial role in saving the lives of his Marines. Positioned in a cabin seat closest to the fire that would eventually envelop and burn the entire aircraft, he ensured that his radio operator, safely exited. For his heroic actions, the Navy and Marine Corps awarded Watson the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, a prestigious honor recognizing individuals who risk their lives and distinguish themselves in a non-combat environment.
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2025 16:33 |
| Story ID: | 491920 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 3,535 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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