The deaths of the crew members bring to 13 the number of US military personnel killed in connection with the war with Iran
A squadron operations chief who had recently earned her wings as a pilot, a major responsible for flight training for dozens of pilots and a young refueling operator remembered for his “million-dollar smile” were among the six United States Air Force pilots killed on Thursday, the Pentagon said.
The Pentagon identified the pilots Saturday as the crash remains under investigation.
The crew are Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Captain Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Technical 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 Technical Sergeant Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
The deaths of the crew members bring to 13 the number of US military personnel killed in connection with the war with Iran.
Klinner, Savino and Pruitt were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The three served in the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, a geographically separate unit based at Joint National Guard Base Sumpter Smith in Birmingham, Alabama.
“They weren’t just exceptional pilots. They were our neighbors – our fellow Alabamans. 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 Governor Mike DeWine said he is mourning all the crew members along with 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 mid-flight, and their work was essential on long-distance missions in defense of our nation. Each mission they performed involved risks they were willing to take and the courage to put the lives of others above their own. They served with honor,” DeWine wrote in X.
The crew members were aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling plane when it crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, the U.S. military said, adding that the incident was “not due to enemy or friendly fire.”
An earlier statement said two aircraft were involved in an incident over western Iraq while operating during Operation Epic Fury, the Pentagon’s name for the war with Iran. The statement added that the second aircraft landed safely.
The KC-135 allows aircraft to refuel in the air to remain in a combat zone for longer. Planes can also be configured to transport cargo and patients. The Air Force did not say what mission the aircraft involved in Thursday’s incident were carrying out.
Major John “Alex” Klinner
Klinner was “more than a military man,” leaving behind his wife, Libby Klinner, and their young children – a 2-year-old and 7-month-old twins – according to a GoFundMe page created to raise funds to support the family after his death.
“He was a devoted husband, a loving father, and the kind of person who quietly offered to help anyone in need. He embodied what it means to be a servant leader,” the campaign says.
Klinner served as a major in the Air Force for eight years and had recently been deployed on March 12 to support Operation Epic Fury, according to the GoFundMe page.
“If his death means anything – if the death of either of them means anything – then please don’t look away,” his aunt Jean Marie Dillon shared in a Facebook post. “His name was Major Alex Klinner, and he mattered.”
Klinner was chief of standards and evaluation for the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, overseeing the training and flying proficiency of more than 30 aircrew members as an evaluator pilot, according to the Air Force. He was deployed several times throughout his career, including to support operations in Europe and the Middle East.
A graduate of Auburn University, Klinner was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program in 2017.
The university said in a statement that it was mourning his death.
“Your 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, offering its “deepest condolences” to the family.
Captain Ariana G. Savino
Savino was a “great person, a future senior leader, mentor to young Latinas and current Air Force superstar” who died “doing what she loved,” her friend Ernesto Nisperos said 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 any room they walked into. Her smile was not just contagious, it was disarming. She brought energy, determination and a relentless commitment to making everyone around her better,” added Nisperos.
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 was 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 was posted to the Middle East throughout her career.
Senator Patty Murray of Washington said she was “heartbroken” by Savino’s death and “deeply grateful for his courage and sacrifice in service to our country.”
Women like Savino represent “the absolute best of our state and our country,” adding that the nation must honor them “not just with words, but by supporting the families they leave behind.”
Sargento Tyler H. Simmons
Simmons, of Columbus, Ohio, had a “million-dollar smile” that his family knew would take him far, including his dream job, his cousin Tracy Peaks told CNN affiliate WBNS.
Simmons played football and graduated from Eastmoor Academy High School in 2015 and then worked in security before becoming a military refueling operator, according to the WBNS report.
His parents remember the exact time uniformed officers knocked on their door to inform them that their son had died, his mother, Cheryl Simmons, told WBNS through tears.
Tyler was the couple’s only child and his mother had long hoped he would choose a path other than the military, according to WBNS.
But his passion for aviation and serving his country was clear, his mother said.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther offered his “deepest condolences” to Simmons’ family after his “life was taken 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.
Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt
Pruitt served as a refueling operator instructor and deputy chief of flight operations in the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, where she oversaw training and readiness and instructed other refueling operators in the precise mechanics of mid-flight refueling, according to the Air Force.
She joined the Air Force in 2017 and has steadily progressed through the ranks, taking on squadron leadership responsibilities and deploying multiple times to support operations in the Middle East. She was promoted to technical sergeant last May.
Pruitt, Klinner and Savino were members of MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, which said it was “devastated” by their loss. They were members of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, according to the department’s statement.
“Losing an Air Force family member is painfully difficult, especially for those who know them as a son, daughter, brother, sister, spouse, mother or father,” said U.S. 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.”
Captain Seth R. Koval
Koval served in the Air Force for 19 years, initially joining the guard as a machinist, according to the Ohio National Guard. It was responsible for training pilots in “global aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation, cargo and passenger operations”, the statement said.
Koval’s family said their “world was destroyed” by the sudden loss of a husband and father who had dreamed of becoming a pilot since he was a child. Koval, they said, wore the uniform with purpose.
“My husband was many things — loving, generous, kind, smart, dedicated, a fixer-upper, a true outdoorsman and selfless,” his wife, Heather Nicole, wrote on Facebook. “He always put others before himself — until the end. I will see it in our son’s smile and carry it 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, according to the guard.
His decorations included the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal and the Air and Space Achievement Medal, according to the guard.
Captain Curtis J. Angst
Angst earned a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati, according to the Ohio National Guard. He enlisted in the Ohio National Guard in May 2015 as a vehicle maintenance technician, according to the release.
He completed his pilot training in 2022 before obtaining his initial pilot qualification in 2024, the guard said.
It was responsible for “global aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation, cargo and passenger operations,” according to the guard. Angst deployed in 2015 and 2026 to support operations Spartan Shield and Epic Fury, the guard said.
His decorations included the Air and Space Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Meritorious Unit Award, according to the guard.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Haley Britzky, Brad Lendon and Amanda Watts contributed to this report.
