A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday afternoon, killing all six crew members aboard. The Pentagon publicly identified the airmen on Saturday, and U.S. Central Command confirmed the crash was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire, with the circumstances remaining under investigation.

The six airmen killed 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. Klinner, Savino and Pruitt were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida and served with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama; Koval, Angst and Simmons were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Columbus, Ohio.

Savino, a 2017 graduate of Central Washington University and King County, Washington native, had earned her pilot's wings in 2025 after previously serving as a Combat Systems Officer. She had logged 348 combat hours, deployed twice in support of U.S. Central Command operations, and been awarded the Air Medal and the Air and Space Commendation Medal. Klinner, who served as chief of squadron standardizations and evaluations, had deployed four times since 2019, logging 181 combat or combat support hours, and left behind a wife and three young children.

The crash occurred during Operation Epic Fury, the Pentagon's name for ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran. The six deaths bring the total number of U.S. troops killed in connection with the conflict to 13, according to CNN. The incident follows a separate episode last week in which Kuwait mistakenly shot down three American F-15E Strike Eagles operating in support of the same mission.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the crew "American heroes" at a Pentagon briefing Friday, stating the military would receive them at Dover Air Force Base. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said their deaths were "a reminder of the true cost of the dedication and commitment of the joint force." Governors of Alabama and Ohio also issued statements mourning the loss of the airmen, as the investigation into the cause of the crash continues.