Fly Like an Eagle

Amber Biles (’95) grew up listening to her family talk shop.

In this case, the Navy.

Biles’ three older brothers all served in the Navy, as did her father, a 22-year veteran pilot. “He entered the service at the end of World War II, flew missions in Korea and was an instructor pilot in Viet Nam. My brother Willis would talk shop with my dad, and I always loved listening to their stories. One day, when I was 12, they began talking about the great improvements in aerospace physiology training. That’s when I decided, this is what I want to do,” she recalled.

Biles stuck with her childhood dream and now the Navy commander is one of only 100 aerospace physiologists worldwide, an elite military division that focuses on keeping pilots safe during missions.

Physiologists specifically teach survival techniques and train pilots on the best ways to handle physical responses to any situation in the air – whether it’s a change in temperature, the way gear fits or visual problems.

Biles’ degrees from Georgia Southern – a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Master of Science in exercise physiology, with an emphasis in cardiac rehabilitation – were stepping stones to her career. Aerospace physiology candidates are required to earn a master’s or doctoral degree in physiology with specializations in cardiovascular, pulmonary or occupational studies. Biles, a former member of the Eagles swim team, completed several phases of extensive Navy training that included instruction on the basics of aerospace physiology, as well as primary flight school. “This training teaches you the theory of flight and puts you through all the physical training that you must pass in order to fly,” she said, describing the birds-eye view of a pilot’s rigorous, demanding and dangerous job.

During training, she became certified as an aviation safety officer, a technical laser safety officer, and night vision goggle (NVG) manager, and also received certification in aerospace physiology. She put all of that to good use during a recent tour of Afghanistan, working with the Marine Corps aircrew of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing to manage the aeromedical physiology brief program, the LASER safety program and provide NVG assistance. “I’m a jack of all trades,” said Biles about her work as an instructor, flyer and subject matter expert. Other tasks on her tour included repairing aviation life support equipment and providing briefs and assistance on flight gear.

Biles is a big believer in hands-on involvement, so she regularly flies with the aircrew to gain perspective on issues that pilots face. “Troubleshooting gives us a better understanding of how the gear works, fits and is used. It also allows us to experience physiological issues that we can then instruct others on. We want each aircrew member to get home to their family safely at the end of the day,” she said.

Another way to maintain safety and improve pilots’ performance is to continue research in this ever-changing field, said Biles.
“Right now we are looking at ergonomic issues, such as strengthening the core of the pilot in conjunction with looking at ways to improve the equipment. We are looking at improvements in NVGs which will aid in giving the aircrew a better visual picture to enhance their situational awareness which will hopefully decrease the chance of sensory illusions,” she said.

“Anything that decreases performance ability increases your chance for the possibility of a mishap,” said Biles, mentioning that heat stress really drains the body and decreases a pilot’s ability to perform at an optimum level.

Through the years, Biles has received numerous honors including expert medals in pistol and rifle, several medals in the categories of Naval achievement and commendation and recognition for serving a tour in Afghanistan.

After her return from Afghanistan, Biles’ career path turned in another direction when she began a new position as assistant professor of preventive medicine and biometrics at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The university specializes in training military physicians, nurses, educators and scientists in Bethesda, Md. “It’s a completely different job, and I will be instructing and completing research,” she said, while also working on her doctorate in management.

Although Biles has had a lifetime of thrilling experiences, the most priceless memory lingers from her winging ceremony, which her father and two of her brothers attended. All three men pinned a set of gold wings on her chest that they had specially made for her. “Having my dad put those wings on my chest and seeing the pride in his eyes . . . I can’t even describe how that made me feel,” she said. “I love what I’m doing. I love being in the Navy and the aerospace physiology community.”