Captain Tyson Dunkelberger is a native of Burke, Virginia. He graduated from Lake Braddock High School in 1996 where he lettered in football and track. Upon graduation from high school, he attended Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland, where he played football. Tyson graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and received his commission through the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) in 2000.

Tyson reported to the Basic School (TBS) in Quantico, Virginia that same year. Upon completion, he reported to Field Artillery School. Tyson report to M Battery, a training unit, to serve as Battery Executive Officer.

Following his tour in Oklahoma, Tyson reported to the Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Maryland. Tyson became a Public Affairs Officer in May 2002 and reported to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, to serve with the 2^nd Marine Aircraft Wing Public Affairs Office. During that tour, he managed the base newspaper, the local community relations program, the external media program and assisted in coordinating numerous high-profile events, including President Bush’s visit to the air station and the 2003 Cherry Point Air Show.

In April 2004, Tyson was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve Headquarters(MARFORRES) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Shortly thereafter, he deployed to serve with the Multi-National Corps in Baghdad, Iraq, as an Individual Augment on April 2004. Tyson served as the Digital Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) manager and was responsible for broadcasting live and taped video, via satellite link, to TV stations around the world. He managed six DVIDS teams in country while simultaneously operating a DVIDS team of his own. Tyson’s DVIDS team reached an estimated 150 million people world-wide with news broadcasts from his satellite TV system. He also made several trips to the city of Najaf to assist the 11^th Marine Expeditionary Unit with external media operations during The Battle of Najaf, and continued to make week-long visits to cover the city’s reconstruction and elections. Upon returning to MARFORRES in January 2005, he served as the Community Relations Officer and oversaw several hundred community relations events.

Tyson served as the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots National Coordinator for two years. During his tenure as the national coordinator, the program has the highest grossing year in its 59 year history, distributing 19.2 million toys to 7.6 million needy children. He also served as the external media officer and was responsible for managing external media affairs for 183 reserve sites across the nation.