Master Sgt. Michael Ty Kettenhofen was the tie that held those around him together, his brother said.
Whether it was his four siblings, his parents, his friends or his Army brothers in the elite Golden Knights parachute team, the 37-year-old Orange native was the kind of person people clung to.
“He was that kind of human being,” said Garrett Campbell, Kettenhofen’s older brother. “He was literally friends with everyone. If you weren’t friends with him, you just hadn’t met him yet.”
Kettenhofen, 37, died on March 13 in a parachute training accident on a Florida air reserve base. Community members are being encouraged to join those whose lives he touched in lining the streets from the Ontario Airport to a Menifee funeral home with American flags on Thursday, March 23, to welcome home the 18-year active duty Army soldier who will be buried on Monday at the Riverside National Cemetery, where his grandparents are buried, with full military honors.
Kettenhofen graduated from Orange High School in 2003 and joined the Army in 2006. His choice of branch was inspired by his two older brothers who were also Army paratroopers, Campbell said. His family is loaded with relatives who served their country; both of his grandfathers served in World War II and one also fought in the Korean War.
“They were something we were extremely proud of,” Campbell said of the siblings’ grandfathers. “Serving in the military was a big deal in our family.”
Kettenhofen also put into practice values instilled by his parents, including always looking out for others and being helpful, Campbell said.
“He was really big on the Army brotherhood and really big into helping his fellow soldiers get help for mental health or other things they needed,” Campbell said. “I’ve heard from Army buddies that he made a big impact on their lives. He thanked my parents for giving him that trait.”
Campbell said his brother, who leaves behind a 9-year-old daughter, “was looking for a bit more stability in his life and fewer chances of deployment,” when he joined the Golden Knights. The elite skydivers, pilots and jumpers are part of the Army’s recruiting efforts and perform around the United States and the globe for more than 200 days a year.
Kettenhofen was also a jumpmaster instructor at the United States Army Jumpmaster School.
Before joining the elite Golden Knights in 2020, he was an infantryman who served four deployments to the Middle East – twice to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan.
Kettenhofen was a Purple Heart recipient and also received the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Master Parachutist Badge and Combat Infantry Badge.
“The US Army parachute team is saddened by the loss of one of our own. MSG Ty Kettenhofen was loved, admired, and respected by all those who knew him for his sense of humor, joy of life and accomplishments as a senior non-commissioned officer and demonstration parachutist,” said Lt. Col. Andy Moffit, the team’s commander. “Our hearts and faith are with his family and friends as we grieve and heal with them. Ty will be honored and remembered as a Golden Knight, soldier and friend.”
Campbell said his brother was at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Miami training for the elite team’s upcoming show season when the accident occurred. Not many details have been made available and the Army is continuing its investigation into what happened. Kettenhofen had more than 1,400 jumps, his brother said.
As part of the Golden Knight’s public outreach, Kettenhofen enjoyed talking about the Army to young people who were looking for options for their futures, his brother said.
“He saw how the Army helped change and improve the lives of lots of people,” Campbell said. “He loved the brotherhood and saw how his brothers became better men by what they went through.”
“And, he loved being a Golden Knight,” Campbell added. “It was difficult, but when you love doing that, the challenging thing, he’d just get better at it. He was very logical and safe in his approach, and it was something he was continuing to improve.”
Kettenhofen had an adventurous spirit growing up, enjoying scuba diving, surfing, hunting, fishing and dirt-bike riding; he would basically try anything once, his family said.
As an adult, he grew to love cooking and baking; his next culinary adventure was to be guava cheesecake, Campbell said.
Kettenhofen was also passionate about photography and was learning how to play piano, challenging himself with the hardest pieces he could find, Campbell said.
Kettenhofen is survived by his daughter, Quinn, and her mother, Cari; his parents, Christine and Mark Kettenhofen; siblings Greggory Campbell, Garrett Campbell, Brandy Morris and Gavin Campbell, and their families.
Kettenhofen’s body will arrive at the Ontario Airport at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The procession will travel Archibald Avenue to the 10 East, to the 15 South, to the 60 East, to the 215 South and exit at Ethanac Road to Encato Drive.