Colonel Mark “Tyson” Andrew Sletten was called home into the arms of his precious savior, Jesus Christ, on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. He was flying a Piper PA-18 Super Cub floatplane around Crescent Lake on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska when the plane unexpectedly crashed. His body was recovered from the Super Cub nearly 200 feet deep in the lake.
Mark was lovingly welcomed into this world by his parents, Jim and Cindy Sletten, on February 14, 1978, in Petersburg, Alaska, the second child of six. He spent most of his childhood in South Dakota, graduating from Irene High School in 1996. He earned an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in 1996. While at the Academy, he was a three-time NCAA Division 1 National Champion in Boxing. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Business from USAFA in 2000 as a Distinguished Graduate.
In May 2000, Mark was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force. During pilot training, he received distinguished graduate honors in Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals and in the F-16 Formal Training Course, fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot. Mark loved flying and instructing in the F-16, accumulating over 3,500 hours during his flying career and spending eight months of combat flying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. In his more recent assignments, he served as Director of Operations of the 18th Aggressor Squadron. He was a Distinguished Graduate of Squadron Officer School, Air Command, Staff College, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, and Air War College. His most fulfilling duty assignment was standing up and serving as the Commander of the 8th Fighter Squadron, 49th Wing, at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where he created a culture of mutual respect and trust that enabled his people to succeed beyond their expectations. At Kunsan AB, Korea, Mark served as the Deputy Operations Group Commander for the 8th Operations Group. Prior to his death, he was serving Alaskan Command as the Director of Operations (J3) at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage, Alaska, where he was primarily in charge of homeland defense. Mark lived out his calling by leading and serving others and was always excited to go fly, even on his last day.
Beginning in 2005, Mark and his first wife Mary were blessed with four wonderful daughters: Sarah, Naomi, Anna, and Rebekah. One of his greatest joys was being a father and investing in his relationships with his children. He was immensely proud of each of them—he loved Sarah’s emotional intelligence and ability to engage in meaningful conversation, Naomi’s sense of humor and fun-loving nature, Anna’s competitive spirit and attention to detail, and Rebekah’s love of activities and her constant willingness to help. Mark often took each of his daughters out individually on daddy-daughter dates and relished the ability to connect with them one-on-one. He would also take each out on an international trip of their choice for a week once they became a teenager. He traveled to Greece with Sarah and enjoyed the historic ruins, sites, and excellent food; and he returned absolutely thrilled from his trip to New Zealand with Naomi, where they went bungee-jumping and parasailing, and hunted down numerous Lord of the Rings sites. Mark loved introducing the girls to adventures in Alaska and inviting them to share his love of the outdoors.
On June 24, 2022, Mark married his soulmate Alison “Bandit” M. Romanko. Mark and Ally were fully known and fully loved by one another. Laughter and joy dominated their relationship, and they delighted in the adventures of life, whether it was intimate conversation or exploring the Alaskan backcountry via plane, snowmachine, quads, or backpacking with only each other to rely on. They cherished learning about each other and were best friends, working perfectly as a team to always have each other’s back. This necessitated saving each other’s lives more than once, and they also worked together to save the lives of some of their friends stranded in the backcountry at -25 degrees. Back at home, Mark and Ally spent countless hours together growing intellectually and spiritually through reading and discussion. They actively sought to resist the temptation to stagnate in any portion of life, whether it was relationally or intellectually. Mark and Ally’s romance was marked by a growth mindset as they sought to balance and encourage each other through every walk of life. The love they shared willed the good of the other.
In the midst of Mark’s pursuits and accomplishments, one of his greatest joys was being a father and investing in the relationships around him. Mark will be remembered for his strong faith in Jesus Christ, deep loyalty, principled convictions, and his special way of engaging and building into the relationships that surrounded him. He was defined by his constant desire to grow spiritually, physically, emotionally, and intellectually, using this knowledge to serve others. Mark left a permanent mark on each of our lives. We strive to intentionally pursue our personal relationships with God and our fellow man to honor Mark’s legacy.
Flying inherently grants the freedom of seeing life from a different perspective. Mark often sought to gain a bigger perspective on life’s essential questions. He held fast to the belief that we are each given the freedom to choose to love God, as well as to love each other. Because this is a choice, when we choose to love, it exists with great strength and intentionality. Mark chose to take God at His word and to love God and others right up to the end of his earthly life. He lived without fearing death or pain and was motivated by a desire to fully experience God’s creation while adding value to others, instead of a desire to preserve his life. He constantly exuded energy and laughter, drawing people all around him to join him in his passion for life.
Mark’s memory will be cherished by his loving wife, Ally, and his wonderful daughters, Sarah, Naomi, Anna, and Rebekah. He will be deeply missed by his parents, Jim and Cindy (Begger) Sletten; siblings, Amy (Kristopher) Swanson, Joshua Sletten, Matthew (Christiana) Sletten, Joel (Amanda) Sletten, and Naomi (Seth) Mendel; as well as his first wife, Mary Sletten. His absence will also be deeply felt by his parents-in-law, Bob and Pam Romanko, and sister-in-law, Katie (Matt) Freeman. As an uncle, he leaves behind 17 nieces and nephews: Kathryn, Nicole, Alyssa, and Teddy Swanson; Lincoln, Amelie, and Oliver Sletten; Bella and Noelle Sletten; Blaine, Titus, Olivia, and Bruce Sletten; Tristan, Silas, and Lucas Mendel; and Eleanor Freeman.
Our grief is great; our hope in being united again in heaven is greater. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13
