The Pentagon on Saturday identified the six US service members who died this week when a refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq.
The service members were Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
US Central Command had stated that the aircraft crashed after an incident involving another plane, which landed safely. The crash, which happened on Thursday in western Iraq, was not a result of hostile or friendly fire, the Central Command said.
The plane that went down was a KC-135, which is used by the Air Force to refuel a wide range of aircraft while in flight. A US official previously said that the other plane involved was also a KC-135.
Three of the service members — Major Klinner, Captain Savino and Sergeant Pruitt — were assigned to the Sixth Air Refuelling Wing at the MacDill Air Force Base. The other three — Captain Koval, Captain Angst and Sergeant Simmons — were assigned to the 121st Air Refuelling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Ohio, the Pentagon said.
In a statement, Col. Ed Szczepanik, the Sixth Air Refuelling wing commander, mourned the loss of the squadron’s members.
“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,” the colonel said.
New York Times News Service