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Dr. Boyd was born and grew up in Louisiana working on a poultry farm and graduated from High School in 1976. He enlisted in the Air Force and served as a crew chief maintaining T-39A aircraft at Langley AFB, Virginia. Completing that assignment, he transferred to the USAF Reserve, and cross-trained to become a carpenter in the 307th CES (RED HORSE) at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. While working as an EMT-I he began attending college to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree. After graduation, having a life-long desire to fly he joined the U.S. Navy, earned his Naval Flight Officer wings, and flew the anti-submarine S-3A Viking. He served in the Navy for six years participating in exercise NORTHSTAR and a Mediterranean-Indian Ocean deployment with 123 carrier landings, followed by a tour as an S-3B flight instructor. Returning to his interest in medicine, he was selected for an Air Force position and earned his medical degree. With the goal of merging his flying and medical experience he became a flight surgeon.
During his first tour as a flight surgeon he rose to be Chief of Flight Medicine at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, and deployed five times in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH and ALLIED FORCE gaining over 200 hours in the F-16D, including 50 combat hours. He completed medical residency training earning an MPH degree and board certification in both Aerospace and Occupational Medicine. Next, he became the 16th Medical Operations Chief of Aeromedical Services and a Flight Commander, at Hurlburt Field, Florida. He commanded the 437th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Charleston AFB, South Carolina and then served as the Chief of Flight Medicine on the AFSOC Surgeon General’s staff, at Hurlburt Field. As a first for the Air Force and Navy he served a two year tour as the Senior Medical Officer/Medical Department Head for the USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) / Carrier Strike Group ONE (CSG-1) where he deployed in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and NEW DAWN and added seven more carrier landings to his career total.
His next assignment was as the Chief of Aeromedical Services for the 355th Medical Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. While at Davis-Monthan he deployed for seven months as the CENTCOM/JPMRC Theater validating flight surgeon for all AOR tactical medical movements including 282 urgent and priority patients. He flew 25 combat missions with over 100 hours over Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan during the deployment. His last assignment in the military was as a Physician Adjudicator for the Physical Disability Board of Review, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland reviewing and reassessing medical discharges from 2000 to 2010 ensuring they all accurately met VA disability ratings.
Since retiring from the Air Force he continues to work in the field of occupational medicine. He has published a daily journal he kept during his time serving on the USS Carl Vinson. He based his first novel, “On The Brink” on his experiences career experiences. He has just completed and published the second novel “Betrayal” continuing the adventures of Commander Derek Lloyd. The third book in the series should be published by Oct 2024. He is soon to start his dream novel taking place in the mid to late 1800’s. This historical novel will follow characters from 1850 to 1900, in and around Catahoula Parish, LA.
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