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DIRECTOR OF FIELD OPERATIONS
Pilot and former company commander of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter unit, Matt is also a certified tactical EMT and first-class firefighter. Consistently pursuing action to serve and protect, he is now active in specialized security work for the Federal government.
The right hand of Phaeton Group is Matt Bliss, our "man of action" and a specialist equal to any field situation we can throw at him. Matt holds the rank of captain in the U.S. Army, and rates a long list of certifications and licenses. In the air, Matt can pilot the world's most advanced attack helicopters, fire tank-buster missiles, and do aerobatics in a fixed-wing plane. He has rappelled face-first out of hovering troop carriers to hit the ground fully armed. In the water Matt is not only SCUBA-certified, but serves as a tactical diver prepared to recover human bodies from the murkiest rivers for the Detroit Police. On land, Matt knows what it takes to get our teams safely into and out of any terrain, and he runs our logistics, arranging for field vehicles, team lodging, and our food in the field. Having seen it all from the back of an ambulance as an Emergency Medical Technician, Matt also serves as our medical officer. When we arrive in a remote field situation, we know that Matt has already identified the nearest appropriate medical facilities and set up lines of communication ready in case of an accident, among many other such preparations.
Matt is directly responsible for team personnel in the field, preparing everyone to accomplish the mission at our Captain's direction. We believe in equipping everyone with the knowledge they need to do a solid job, so that each team member knows their responsibilities clearly and understands how the entire mission will be carried out. Thorough preparation makes our teams highly effective in the field. Matt is the person who drafts and issues our preparatory operations orders, or "OPORDs," briefs designed from his military experience and revised with the Captain to meet Phaeton's needs. These documents and their mission plans provide everyone with everything they need to know before we head out.
It takes dedication and strong management skills to make a field expedition run smoothly, and we depend on Matt in all these areas.
Extensive military training combined with years of civilian tactical, medical, and security work have made Matt an ideal asset for our field expeditions. It's no wonder that his friends just call him "Action."
Northwest Passage Missions
In October 2007 Matt joined a Phaeton mission that journeyed aboard an icebreaker to the Northwest Passage. Matt served as the mission's First Officer, responsible for overseeing helicopter operation plans, among many other duties.
Jet Wing Mission
Matt contributed his special expertise as a military pilot to Phaeton's examination of the legendary Nazi flying wing fighter. Among other duties Matt was responsible for providing us with the pilot's perspective, and for clarifying the functions of the cockpit instruments and controls.
Dinosaur Hunters Mission
Matt served as Director of Field Operations on Phaeton Group's paleontological expedition to the badlands of Alberta.
Dinosaur Prep Lab
After operating the jackhammer in the field, Matt turned to fine instruments in the laboratory to clean delicate dinosaur bone fossils with the Phaeton team.
Ice Corps
Images of Matt appear in this article on the Phaeton polar field unit.
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Surveying the scene at Machu Picchu
Operating jackhammer on dinosaur dig
Summoning landing craft in Arctic
Saluting graves on Terror Bay
Piloting Army helicopter
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