Kentucky Mother Among 6 US Airmen Killed in Iraq Refueling Plane Crash

Six American service members, including a Kentucky mother of two, died when their refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq during operations against Iran. The victims came from air bases in Alabama, Florida, and Ohio, with the crash still under investigation.

Six American military personnel lost their lives when their aerial refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq last week during anti-Iran operations, including a Kentucky mother who leaves behind two young children.

Among those killed was Tech Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, who came from Bardstown, Kentucky, and took immense pride in her military service, according to her husband Gregory Pruitt, who spoke Sunday.

“I’ll give you something brief — in a word, radiant,” Gregory Pruitt said during a telephone conversation while fighting back emotion. “If there was a light in the room, she was it.”

Ashley Pruitt is survived by the couple’s 3-year-old daughter and her stepson.

She had been serving with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama, where she worked as an assistant flight chief of operations and trained others to operate the KC-135’s refueling boom.

Ashley enlisted nine years ago and had completed three previous overseas deployments. Her record included nearly 900 combat flight hours and two associate degrees from the Community College of the Air Force.

Military officials released the names of all six victims Saturday night, revealing that three were stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and Sumpter Smith, while the remaining three served at an Ohio Air National Guard facility in Columbus.

“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,” U.S. Air Force Col. Ed Szczepanik, commander of the 6th Air Refueling Wing, stated in an official release. “To lose them at the same time is unimaginable.”

Maj. Gen. Matthew S. Woodruff, Ohio’s adjutant general, described the three Columbus-based victims as “remarkable Airmen whose service and commitment embodied the very best of our Ohio National Guard. Their impact on their teammates and our mission will not be forgotten.”

According to U.S. Central Command, the aircraft was operating in “friendly” airspace Thursday when an undisclosed incident involving another plane occurred. Military officials confirmed the second aircraft landed without incident, and investigators are examining the crash.

The KC-135 aircraft specializes in mid-air refueling operations, enabling other planes to extend their flight range and maintain operations without landing. Military specialists note the aircraft can also transport injured personnel and conduct surveillance operations.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the Air Force operated 376 KC-135s last year, with 151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard, and 62 in the Air Force Reserve. The aircraft has remained in service for over six decades.

Maj. John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33, had received his promotion to major just this January and had been deployed for less than a week when the tragedy occurred, his brother-in-law revealed.

The pilot leaves behind three young children: twin infants aged 7 months and a 2-year-old son, according to his brother-in-law James Harrill.

Klinner graduated from Auburn University and served eight years in the U.S. Air Force from Birmingham, Alabama. He had recently relocated his family to a new residence, his wife Libby Klinner shared in a social media post mourning his loss.

He held the position of chief of squadron standards and evaluations at the Birmingham air facility.

Known as an outdoor enthusiast who loved hiking, Klinner was always willing to assist others. During their last meeting in January, Klinner had helped Harrill dig his vehicle out of snow at a family wedding.

“Alex was one of those guys that had this steady command about him,” Harrill, an Atlanta resident who established a GoFundMe campaign for Klinner’s family, explained. “He was literally one of the most kindest, giving people.”

In her social media tribute, Libby Klinner expressed her heartbreak for their children, who will mature without knowing their father.

“They won’t get to see firsthand the way he would jump up to help in any way he could,” she posted. “They won’t see how goofy and funny he was. They won’t witness his selflessness, the way he thought about everyone else before himself. They won’t get to feel the deep love he had for them.”

Klinner had completed four deployments since 2019, accumulating 362 combat hours and 181 combat support hours.

Tech Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, worked with the Ohio Air National Guard’s 166th Air Refueling Squadron as a boom operator handling fuel transfer from tanker to receiving aircraft, his Air Force biography shows.

His mother, Cheryl Simmons, confirmed Saturday that she was arranging funeral services for her son, a Columbus resident.

In a statement provided to WCMH-TV in Columbus, Tyler Simmons’ relatives expressed their immeasurable sadness over the fatal incident.

“Tyler’s smile could light up any room, his strong presence would fill it. His parents, grandparents, family and friends are grief stricken for the loss of life,” the family stated.

Simmons enlisted in 2017 and obtained an associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force. He became a refueling specialist in 2022 and earned technical sergeant rank in 2023. His service included three deployments over the past decade with 230 combat hours.

Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, served as a pilot with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron and held the role of chief of current operations. Her responsibilities included overseeing the flying hour program and managing daily flight scheduling, among other tasks.

Savino, originally from Covington, Washington, came through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Central Washington University, receiving her active duty commission in 2017.

Her assignments took her to bases in Georgia and Mississippi, where she logged over 300 combat hours. She achieved captain rank in 2021.

Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, worked as an instructor pilot for the KC135R Stratotanker with 19 years of military service, the Ohio National Guard reported.

Koval lived in Stoutsville, Ohio, and served as an aircraft commander with the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus. Military records show he trained pilots in air refueling, aeromedical, cargo and passenger operations.

Government records indicated Koval originally came from Mooresville, Indiana.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation operations from Purdue University and completed five deployments over the past 12 years. His assignments included locations in Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma.

The Ohio Guard reported Koval had logged over 2,000 flight hours, including 443 in combat situations. He received his captain promotion in 2022.

Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, served for ten years after earning a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He joined the Ohio Air National Guard in 2015, with deployments in 2015 and this year.

Angst flew KC-135R aircraft with the 166th Air Refueling Squadron and resided in Columbus. Federal records indicated he originally came from Wilmington, Ohio.

His flight record included 880 hours, with 67 in combat situations. Angst received his captain promotion this past November.