Tragedy struck over Iraq last week when a US military refuelling plane crashed, resulting in the deaths of six service members. The Department of Defence has now officially named the fallen, confirming the devastating loss 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.
The families are left shattered by the loss. 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.’”
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.
Originally published by UKNIP.
