Air Force major restricted to DC base, under investigation after uniformed protest

As Air Force Maj. Jason Watson ascended the Capitol steps last week wearing his military uniform and armed with one protest sign, he knew the risks and was prepared for the consequences, no matter how severe.

Watson, 40, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate with 17 years on active duty, stood on the steps of the House of Representatives in roughly 100-degree weather on July 1, silently holding a sign that read “Impeach Convict Remove” to call for the impeachment of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

After standing on the steps for approximately three minutes, Capitol Police arrested Watson under Washington, D.C., code 22-1307 Crowding, Obstructing and Incommoding because he was demonstrating on the steps without a member of Congress to accompany him.

“I think you can’t help but be struck by the contrast of someone who is upholding the highest level of commitment to their oath to call out a tyrannical and illegal administration being arrested, while so many of those actors continue in seeds of power with impunity,” Jessica Denson, founder of the Removal Coalition, told Military Times.

The Removal Coalition is a political activist movement that organized the demonstration after Watson contacted Denson earlier this year, looking to become involved.

His arrest did not come as a surprise to those who assisted Watson in the protest’s conception or even to the major himself, Denson told Military Times.

After his arrest

Watson foresaw the possibility of arrest and was prepared for it, as seen through his calm demeanor and acceptance of the arrest in the video footage of the event.

After his arrest, Watson was transferred from Capitol Police custody to the Metropolitan Police Department and was held overnight in jail at Central Cell Block in Northwest D.C., Denson confirmed.

The following day, Watson was transferred to D.C. Superior Court and brought to Moultrie Courthouse, where a hopeful Denson awaited his release.

Denson was optimistic that after his arrest, Watson would be momentarily released from the courthouse, given that the D.C. attorney’s office dropped their charges against him. But that feeling was short-lived.

“He was never released from custody, he was whisked away from the courthouse directly into Air Force custody,” Denson said.

The D.C. Office of Attorney General confirmed to Military Times that the city’s charges were dropped but did not specify when.

While she waited in the courthouse, Denson was not alone. Agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations were also there, telling Denson they were only present to assure there was a warm handoff, which refers to the transfer of a case between OSI and other military agencies.

“There was a sergeant there who basically represented to me that she was just there to make sure that he was well fed and clothed and had a hotel to go to, all those things,” Denson said.

Denson said that all the people she spoke to identified themselves with OSI. She questioned whether this was part of a court-martialing process, and they told her “absolutely not,” she said.

As they all sat in a U.S. Marshals’ office awaiting Watson, Denson was asked to leave because she neither his attorney nor a family member. The OSI agents were allowed to remain, she said.

Before Watson’s continuing legal counsel was available, he was represented by another lawyer who also arrived at the courthouse. That lawyer did not get the opportunity to speak with Watson in person, because moments later, Watson was already in a van leaving with the OSI agents.

OSI officials referred Military Times to the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs office, which did not responded to multiple requests for comment.

Where is Watson now?

Watson is currently on leave from his commission post as a logistics readiness officer in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

From the D.C. courthouse, he was taken to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, located in Southwest Washington, D.C., which has a Level I confinement facility. Level I facilities are minimum security, short-term holdings and are meant to house inmates, both pre- and post-trial, serving sentences of one year or less.

His superior placed him under a gag order the afternoon of July 2, Denson said.

Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling officials referred Military Times to the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs office, which did not responded to multiple requests for comment.

Denson, who first spoke with Watson to set up the protest back in February, remained in the D.C. courthouse working to secure him legal counsel. Before the day ended, his lawyer, Chris Mutimer of Monument Legal, was able to meet him on base.

Mutimer, who is representing Watson alongside Maj. Heather Bruha of the Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps, told Military Times that as of Tuesday afternoon, no charges had been formally filed. But Watson is under investigation for several articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including conspiracy, contempt toward officials, dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming of an officer and conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline.

Under UCMJ, active-duty members are forbidden from participating in partisan political acts, especially while in uniform. Consequences can include criminal or administrative punishments, such as punitive discharges, courts-martial or imprisonment.

Mutimer said that Watson is restricted to the Air Force base but not in confinement. He said that his representation is in contact with his command about the terms of the restriction and whether it can be modified or lifted as the investigation continues.

He said the representation is focused on ensuring the process is fair and that any order or restriction is clear and lawful and that “investigation proceeds on the facts rather than the surrounding politics.”

“Maj. Watson is doing well. He understood what he was risking when he spoke out, and he’s prepared to face whatever comes of this, including the possibility of a court-martial. That hasn’t wavered,” Mutimer said.

‘Just A. Nobody’

Watson first reached out to Denson in February. He did not reveal his identity, but instead signed off on his emails as “Just A. Nobody,” a moniker that he has repeated time and time again, most recently during his speech last week before his protest on the Capitol steps.

“If just a nobody like me can take a stand for our Constitution and our democratic republic, then you can too. I hope you will join me in the defense of our republic,” he said in his speech.

Previously, Watson protested anonymously through a hunger strike on the Capitol for 22 days, but it did not garner much attention. He sat with his entire body covered in white clothing topped with sunglasses and a white hat.

Denson said Watson was building momentum for an identity reveal, but he needed a vehicle to do so. That’s where she came in.

Initially, Watson’s plan was for a large protest, but Denson believed it would not be enough to hold attention. Instead, she suggested a press conference and a solitary demonstration with a captive audience on Capitol Hill.

Those involved, including Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, and partner organizations, kept it under wraps and advertised it only as an “unprecedented act of civil disobedience” out of concern that Watson would be stopped before being able to protest.

Denson said Watson was “eager” and did not hesitate to don his uniform for the protest. In a pre-taped interview with Denson on her “Lights On” YouTube channel published the day prior, Watson chose to wear civilian attire because he didn’t want anyone to feel he was “co-opting the uniform.”

He chose to wear his uniform on the steps of the Capitol to showcase its symbolism and the oath of office it represents, Denson said.

On the day of Watson’s arrest, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink posted on social media, saying he expects every airmen and guardian to comply with all laws and policies that dictate personal conduct, political participation and the uniform’s wear.

“The Department takes allegations of misconduct seriously, including any that might undermine the nonpartisan nature of our military,” Meink wrote.

“Pursuant to a thorough investigation — which will proceed unimpeded — commanders will ensure appropriate disposition when holding service members accountable in accordance with military law and due process,” he concluded.