The six American crew members who died when their military refueling plane crashed in Iraq while participating in war operations against Iran this week were publicly identified on Saturday.
The Department of Defense identified the U.S. Air Force airmen as Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Technology. Sergeant. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and technology. Sergeant. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
Klinner, Savino and Pruitt were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, but served day-to-day at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama, where their squadron is based, the Air Force said.
Koval, Angst and Simmons were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Columbus.
US Central Command said in a release early Friday that its KC-135 aircraft crashed at approximately 2 pm ET on Thursday.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile or friendly fire,” CENTCOM said.
It previously said two planes were involved in the incident and one landed safely.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the refueling plane’s crew as “American heroes.”
“War is hell. War is chaos. And as we saw yesterday with the tragic crash of our KC-135 tanker, bad things can happen,” he said Friday at a Pentagon news conference.
“We will salute those heroes in Dover and their sacrifice will only recommit us to solving this mission,” Hegseth said.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaking alongside Hegseth, said, “Our service members make incredible sacrifices to move forward and do the things the nation asks of them. It’s a reminder of the true cost of joint force dedication and commitment.”
Major John “Alex” Klinner
Klinner was the chief of squadron standardizations and evaluations for his squadron in Alabama, the Air Force said.
It helped aircrew members maintain their skills and safety while also supporting the squadron’s mission of in-flight refueling, he said.
Klinner studied to become a reserve officer at Auburn University before completing programs to become a pilot trainer and instructor, according to the Air Force.
He was deployed four times since 2019 and logged 181 hours of combat or combat support, the force said. Klinner was promoted four times and received three medals: the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Air Achievement Medal, and the Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.
Captain Ariana G. Savino
Savino was the current operations chief for her squadron in Alabama, the Air Force said.
He managed flight schedules, supervised aircrew training missions and monitored resources, he said.
A graduate of Central Washington University, Savino completed training as a combat systems officer before serving at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, the Air Force said. He studied at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi to become a military pilot last year.
It had been deployed to U.S. Central Command operations three times since 2020 and flew 348 combat hours, the Air Force said.
She was promoted three times and received two medals: the Air Medal and the Air and Space Commendation Medal.
Captain Curtis J. Angst
Simmons was responsible for worldwide aerial refueling, as well as aeromedical, cargo and passenger operations, the Air Force said.
He attended the University of Cincinnati and earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, he said, before initially enlisting in the Ohio Air National Guard in 2015 as a vehicle maintenance technician.
Angst earned a commission in 2021 and attended college pilot training in 2022, between deployments in 2015 and 2026 as part of Operations Spartan Shield and Epic Fury.
He flew 860 flight hours with 67 combat hours and received 10 medals, including the Air and Space Commendation Medals, Outstanding Unit and Achievement Medals, the Meritorious Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He was promoted three times.
Captain Seth R. Koval
Koval was responsible for training pilots in global refueling, aeromedical, cargo and passenger operations in support of Air Mobility Command, the Air Force said.
He enlisted in the Air Force in 2006 as a machinist in the Indiana National Guard, he said, before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in aviation operations from Purdue University in 2011.
Koval transferred to the Ohio Air National Guard in 2017 before completing pilot training in 2022 and instructor pilot upgrade in 2024.
He deployed five times in support of United States Air Forces in Europe, United States Central Command, and United States Pacific Command, flying 443 combat hours and more than 2,000 total hours.
He received the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Air and Space Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Air and Space Achievement Medal. He was promoted three times.
Technical Sergeant. Ashley Pruitt
Pruitt oversaw aircrew readiness, training and flight operations and also taught air refueling, the Air Force said.
She was the noncommissioned officer in charge of her squadron’s readiness in Alabama and had logged more than 2,700 flight hours, it said.
Pruitt was promoted four times and earned two associate degrees, the Air Force said.
She was deployed by U.S. Central Command five times since 2018, he said, and received three medals: the Air Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster, the Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters and the Air and Space Achievement Medal.
Technical Sergeant. Tyler Simmons
Simmons was responsible for conducting aerial refueling worldwide, as well as aeromedical, cargo and passenger operations, the Air Force said.
He entered the Air Force in 2018 and became an in-flight refueling specialist in 2022, logging more than 770 flight hours and 230 combat hours, he said.
Simmons was deployed by US Central Command three times, supporting Operations Freedom Sentinel, Spartan Shield and Epic Fury.
He was promoted once and received an Air Force Commendation Medal.
A total of 12 active-duty personnel have been killed since the conflict began on February 28, when US forces joined Israel in attacking senior leaders and military sites in Iran. A thirteenth died from a medical problem.
Last week, Kuwait mistakenly shot down three American fighter jets, but none of the crew members were killed.
The KC-135 Stratotanker, which costs nearly $40 million each, has been used as a key refueling aircraft by the US Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy for more than 60 years.
It can also be used in medical evacuations, according to the Air Force website. Aircraft normally have a crew of three, but this expands to a basic crew of five when used for medical purposes.
