Born in Yerevan in 1962, Colonel Araqel Martikyan graduated from Yerevan State Pedagogical Institute in 1985, followed by the mandatory military service in the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1987. Since 1992, he has been serving in the Armenian Armed Forces, holding a number of senior positions, including Chief of Staff of the special regiment, Military Attaché of the Armenian Embassy in Russian Federation, and Head of the Organization and Mobilization Department of General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces. In 2000, he graduated the Combined Military Academy of the Russian Armed Forces. Colonel Martikyan has been awarded with number of ARM governmental and MoD departmental medals and certificates. He is married and has 2 daughters.