It identified the men as Sergeant Timothy Officer, 32, and Sergeant Marty Bettelyoun, 35.
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Tech. Sgt. Marty Bettelyoun (L) and Tech. Sgt.
The Air Force said Tuesday that Sgt. Bettelyoun, 35, were critically injured in the same incident during military freefall training on Monday. The two special tactics airmen from an elite Air Force unit were participating in a routine exercise. They were rushed to the hospital, where they later died.
The Air Force is investigating the accident.
Geospatial intelligence ranked second – behind emergency management and tied with combat control – on the Air Force Times list of “fast burners”, career fields where airmen spent the shortest amounts of time in grade before being promoted. Officer was a 14-year combat veteran with multiple deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, where he earned multiple medals including two Bronze Star Medals (one with Valor) for his bravery against armed enemies of the United States.
The deaths are under investigation.
Officials haven’t released the names of the airmen.
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“Our community has taken a huge loss with their deaths, and they will be sorely missed”, Col. Wolfe Davidson, 24 Special Operations Wing commander said in a statement to the Pensacola News Journal. “We request you respect the privacy of the friends and families involved”.
