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Parachute training exercise leads to death of 2 Air Force special ops veterans

Two special tactics airmen died after a freefall training accident at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, the Air Force said. Tech Sgt. Timothy A. Officer Jr. and Tech Sgt. Marty B. Bettelyoun died from the parachute training accident, the Air Force Times reported. (CNN)
Tech. Sgt. Timothy Officer Jr., a Tactical Air Control Party Airman from the 720th Operations Support Squadron, died Aug. 3, 2015, from a military freefall training accident on Eglin Range. (U.S. Air Force/CNN)
Tech. Sgt. Marty Bettelyoun, a Combat Controller with the 720th Operations Support Squadron, and Tech. Sgt. Timothy Officer Jr., a Tactical Air Control Party Airman from the 720th Operations Support Squadron died Aug. 3, 2015, in a military free fall training accident on Eglin Range. Sgt. Bettelyoun, Sgt. Officer Jr. (U.S. Air Force/CNN)
Tech. Sgt. Marty Bettelyoun, a Combat Controller with the 720th Operations Support Squadron, died Aug. 3, 2015, in a military freefall training accident on Eglin Range. (U.S. Air Force/CNN)
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By Holly Yan and Tina Burnside CNN
August 5, 2015 - 12:42 pm
 

Two special tactics airmen died after a freefall training accident at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, the Air Force said.

Tech Sgt. Timothy A. Officer Jr. and Tech Sgt. Marty B. Bettelyoun died from the parachute training accident, the Air Force Times reported.

Both men were from the 24th Special Operations Wing based in Hurlburt Field, Florida.

Air Force Special Operations Command said the cause of the accident is under investigation.

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of these Special Tactics Airmen," AFSOC said in a statement.

Officer, 32, served 14 years in the Air Force and was deployed several times to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Air Force Times said. He was awarded the Bronze Star twice.

Bettelyoun, 35, served 15 years and was also deployed on several occasions, the Times said. He taught survival, evasion, resistance and escape techniques to thousands of airmen and others who were at risk of being captured.

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