Tragedy struck over Iraq last week as a US military refuelling plane crashed, killing six service members. The Department of Defence has now named the fallen, confirming the devastating blow to crews from Ohio and Florida.
Meet the Fallen Heroes
- Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, Mooresville, Indiana
- Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, Wilmington, Ohio
- Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, Columbus, Ohio
- Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, Auburn, Alabama
- Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, Covington, Washington
- Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, Bardstown, Kentucky
Koval, Angst, and Simmons served with the 121st Air Refuelling Wing based at Rickenbacker Air National Guard in Columbus, Ohio. Klinner, Savino, and Pruitt were part of the 6th Air Refuelling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
Heartbreaking Family Reaction
The families are left shattered. Simmons’ mother Cheryl recounted the crushing moment officers broke the tragic news.
“When he opened the door he said, ‘Oh no,’ and I jumped up and ran in there and they were lined up out on the porch,” she said. “‘You got to be kidding me.’”
Inside the Crash
The deadly KC-135 refuelling plane went down on March 12 near Turaibil, close to the Iraqi-Jordanian border. The crew was carrying out a combat mission over friendly territory targeting Iran.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth paid tribute to the crew, calling them true American heroes. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Dan Caine confirmed an investigation is ongoing into the crash.
