Technical Sergeant Marty B. Bettelyoun was a combat controller assigned to 720th Operations Support Squadron, 720th Special Tactics Group, 24th Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. As the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Surveys and Assault Zones, Bettelyoun provided assault zone and survey program management, training, and oversight for eight special tactics units encompassing over 900 combat controllers, pararescuemen, special operations weathermen, tactical air control party, and mission support personnel.

Bettelyoun entered the Air Force and graduated Basic Training in 2000. He completed Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape school in 2001 and was assigned to the 22nd Training Squadron where he taught SERE techniques to thousands of aircrews, special operations forces, and high risk of capture personnel. Sergeant Bettelyoun retrained in 2006 to become a combat controller. After graduating one of the military’s toughest training programs in 2007, he was assigned to the 321st Special Tactics Squadron at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom, where he became the NCOIC of Surveys. Bettelyoun has deployed to multiple combat zones and sensitive areas across the globe throughout his career.

Bettelyoun is originally from Eugene, Oregon, and is survived by his wife and five children.

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. — Technical Sergeant Marty B. Bettelyoun, a distinguished Combat Controller with the 720th Operations Support Squadron, died on August 3, 2015, from injuries sustained during a military freefall training accident on the Eglin Range near Hurlburt Field, Florida. He and fellow Special Tactics Airman Tech. Sgt. Timothy A. Officer, Jr., were involved in a mid-air collision during a parachute training jump. Despite the activation of their reserve parachutes and rapid medical response, both Airmen succumbed to their injuries.

Born on October 18, 1979, in Eugene, Oregon, Bettelyoun graduated from Oregon City High School before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in 2000. He began his career as a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) instructor, serving with the 22nd Training Squadron and preparing aircrew and special operations personnel for the harshest environments. In 2006, he retrained as a Combat Controller, completing one of the military’s most rigorous training pipelines and graduating in 2007. He was then assigned to the 321st Special Tactics Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, where he served as the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of Surveys and Assault Zones.

A 15-year combat veteran, Bettelyoun deployed multiple times to hostile and sensitive locations around the world. As NCOIC of Assault Zones, he oversaw the development and execution of critical training programs for eight Special Tactics units, directly impacting the readiness of more than 900 personnel, including combat controllers, pararescuemen, special reconnaissance Airmen, TACPs, and mission support specialists.

Throughout his career, Bettelyoun was recognized for his leadership, expertise, and mentorship. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal with three oak leaf clusters, and numerous campaign and service ribbons.

More than 650 mourners attended a memorial ceremony held in his honor at Hurlburt Field, including teammates, commanders, and friends. The service featured a traditional rifle, boots, and helmet display and a ceremonial pounding of the red beret flash—an enduring symbol of the Special Tactics brotherhood.

Bettelyoun is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and their five children, as well as a young cousin they welcomed into their home following a family tragedy. He is remembered not only for his excellence as a Special Tactics warrior but for his unwavering devotion to his family, his teammates, and the mission.

“Sergeants Timothy Officer and Marty Bettelyoun were the epitome of a Special Tactics Airman: professional, dedicated, and prepared to give their lives in service to their country,” said Col. Wolfe Davidson, then-commander of the 24th Special Operations Wing. “They were respected for their skill on the battlefield and their deep devotion to friends and family. Our community has suffered a tremendous loss.”