Pentagon identifies six airmen killed in plane crash in Iraq

By Aleena Fayaz, Hanna Park, Emma Tucker, CNN

(CNN) — A squadron operations chief who had recently earned her wings as a pilot, a major overseeing flight training for dozens of airmen, and a young boom operator remembered for his “million-dollar smile” were among six US Air Force airmen killed when an aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, the Pentagon said.

The Pentagon identified the airmen on Saturday, as the crash remains under investigation.

The airmen are 33-year-old Maj. John A. Klinner of Auburn, Alabama; 31-year-old Capt. Ariana G. Savino of Covington, Washington; 34-year-old Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt of Bardstown, Kentucky; 38-year-old Capt. Seth R. Koval of Mooresville, Indiana; 30-year-old Capt. Curtis J. Angst of Wilmington, Ohio; and 28-year-old Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons of Columbus, Ohio.

The crew members’ deaths bring the number of US troops killed in connection to the war with Iran to 13.

Klinner, Savino and Pruitt were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. All three served with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, a geographically separated unit based at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama.

“They were not only outstanding Airmen. They were our neighbors – our fellow Alabamians. May their service and that of their families never be forgotten,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said on X.

Koval, Angst and Simmons were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he is mourning all of the airmen alongside the rest of the state, including those who were elite members of the Ohio Air National Guard.

They were trained to “transfer fuel from one plane to another in midair, and their work was critical in long-distance missions in defense of our nation. Every mission they undertook involved risks that they were willing to take and the courage to put the lives of others above their own. They served with honor,” DeWine wrote on X.

The crew members were aboard a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft when it crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, the US military said, adding that the incident was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”

A previous statement said two aircraft were involved in an incident over western Iraq while operating during Operation Epic Fury, the name the Pentagon has given for the war with Iran. The statement said the second aircraft landed safely.

The KC-135 allows aircraft to refuel in the sky to remain in a battle zone for longer. The jets can also be configured to carry cargo and medical patients. The Air Force did not say what mission the jets involved in Thursday’s incident were performing.

Maj. John “Alex” Klinner

Klinner was “more than a serviceman,” leaving behind his wife, Libby Klinner, and their young children – a 2-year-old and 7-month-old twins, according to a GoFundMe page organized to raise funds to support his family following his death.

“He was a devoted husband, a loving father, and the kind of person who would quietly step in to help anyone who needed it. He embodied what it means to be a servant leader,” the fundraiser says.

Klinner served as a major in the Air Force for eight years and was recently deployed on March 12 to support Operation Epic Fury, according to the GoFundMe page.

“If his death means anything – if any of their deaths mean anything – then please, do not look away,” his aunt Jean Marie Dillon shared in a Facebook post. “His name was Major Alex Klinner, and he mattered.”

Klinner was the 99th Air Refueling Squadron’s chief of standardization and evaluation, overseeing training and flight proficiency for more than 30 aircrew members as an evaluator pilot, according to the Air Force. He deployed multiple times during his career, including in support of operations in Europe and the Middle East.

An Auburn University graduate, Klinner commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program in 2017.

The university said in a statement it was mourning his death.

“His commitment to serving our nation reflects the courage, character and sense of duty demonstrated by those who choose a life of service,” the university said, while extending its “deepest condolences” to his family.

Capt. Ariana G. Savino

Savino was a “great human, a future senior leader, a mentor to Latina youth and current Air Force superstar” who died “doing what she loved,” said her friend Ernesto Nisperos in a Facebook post.

Savino was his mentee and a “source of positive energy,” he said. “She was one of those people who lit up every room she walked into. That smile of hers wasn’t just infectious, it was disarming. She brought energy, grit, and a ruthless commitment to making everyone around her better,” Nisperos added.

Savino served as chief of current operations for the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, overseeing the unit’s daily flight schedule and coordinating its training and missions, according to the Air Force.

She commissioned in 2017 through the Air Force ROTC program at Central Washington University and initially served as a combat systems officer before completing pilot training in 2025 and earning her wings as a KC‑135 pilot. She deployed to the Middle East during her career.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington said she was “heartbroken” by Savino’s death and “deeply grateful for her courage and sacrifice in service to our country.”

Women like Savino represent “the absolute best of our state and country,” adding the nation must honor them “not only with words but by supporting the families they leave behind.”

Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons

Simmons of Columbus, Ohio, had a “million-dollar smile,” that his family knew would take him to places, including his dream job, his cousin Tracy Peaks told CNN affiliate WBNS.

Simmons played football and graduated from the Eastmoor Academy High School in 2015 and then worked in security prior to becoming a military boom operator, the WBNS report said.

His parents remembered the exact time uniformed officers came to their door to inform them their son died, his mother Cheryl Simmons told WBNS through tears.

Tyler was their only child, and his mother had once hoped he would choose a different path than the military, according to WBNS.

But his passion for aviation and serving his country was clear, his mother said.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther extended his “deepest condolences” to Simmons’ family after his “life was taken far too soon in a recent accident in Iraq.”

“We honor his memory as a true hero who served our country with courage and dedication,” Ginther said.

Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt

Pruitt served as an instructor boom operator and assistant flight chief of operations with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, where she oversaw training and readiness and instructed fellow boom operators in the precise mechanics of midair refueling, according to the Air Force.

She entered the Air Force in 2017 and rose steadily through the enlisted ranks, earning leadership responsibilities within the squadron and deployed multiple times in support of operations in the Middle East. She was promoted to technical sergeant last May.

Pruitt, Klinner and Savino were members of the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, which said it’s “devastated” by their loss. They were members of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, the department’s statement said.

“To lose a member of the Air Force family is excruciatingly painful, especially to those who know them as son, daughter, brother, sister, spouse, mom or dad,” said US Air Force Col. Ed Szczepanik, 6th Air Refueling Wing Commander.

“Our communities feel this loss deeply and Team MacDill will ensure their sacrifices and service to our nation are never forgotten.”

Capt. Seth R. Koval

Koval served in the Air Force for 19 years, first enlisting as a machinist with the guard, according to the Ohio National Guard. He was responsible for training pilots in “worldwide air refueling, aeromedical, cargo and passenger operations,” the statement said.

Koval’s family said their “world was shattered” by the sudden loss of the husband and father who had dreamed since childhood of becoming a pilot. Koval, they said, wore the uniform with purpose.

“My husband was many things – loving, generous, kind-hearted, smart, devoted, a fixer of all things, a real outdoorsman, and selfless,” his wife, Heather Nicole, wrote on Facebook. “He always put others before himself – until the very end. I will see him in the smile of our son and carry him with me in every moment.”

He graduated from Purdue University in Indiana in 2011, earning a bachelor’s degree in aviation operations before transferring to the Ohio Air National Guard in 2017, the guard said.

His awards and decorations included the Meritorious Service Medal, Air medal and Air and Space Achievement Medal, the guard said.

Capt. Curtis J. Angst

Angst earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati, the Ohio National Guard said. He enlisted in the Ohio National Guard in May 2015 as a vehicle maintenance technician, according to the statement.

He earned his undergraduate pilot training in 2022 before achieving his pilot initial qualification in 2024, the guard said.

He was responsible for “worldwide air refueling, aeromedical, cargo and passenger operations,” the guard said. Angst was deployed in 2015 and 2026 to support Spartan Shield and Epic Fury, the guard said.

Angst’s awards and decorations included the Air and Space Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Meritorious Unit Award, according to the guard.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Haley Britzky, Brad Lendon and Amanda Watts contributed to this report.