U.S. officials confirmed there were no survivors after an aerial refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq on March 12.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Pentagon has released the identities of six U.S. Air Force service members who were killed when a KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft crashed over western Iraq on March 12 during ongoing military operations in the region.
The crew members were identified as Maj. John A. Klinner, 33; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28. Military officials confirmed that there were no survivors among the flight crew.
Klinner, Savino and Pruitt were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. Koval, Angst and Simmons served with the 121st Air Refueling Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, which operates out of Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio.
“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. To lose them at the same time is unimaginable,” Col. Ed Szczepanik, commander of the 6th Air Refueling Wing, said.
“Our hearts and minds are with the family, friends and loved ones of our fallen Airmen.”
The aircraft was involved in an incident that included a second KC-135 tanker. That aircraft was able to land safely in Israel, according to U.S. officials.
The crash occurred as U.S. and Israeli forces continued military strikes against Iran. However, American military officials said the refueling aircraft was not lost due to hostile action or friendly fire.
An Iranian-backed militia group known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft but has not provided evidence supporting the claim.
The incident remains under investigation.
Aerial refueling aircraft such as the KC-135 have played a critical logistical role in the ongoing operations across the Middle East. These tankers allow fighter aircraft and bombers to extend their range and remain airborne for longer missions.
Ahead of the attacks on Iran, the U.S. military deployed numerous refueling aircraft to bases throughout the region to support strike operations.
Between Feb. 28 and March 12, the U.S. military reported that approximately 6,000 strikes had been carried out against Iranian targets.
Israeli forces reported conducting about 7,600 strikes on Iranian targets as of March 13.
The tanker crash marks at least the fourth loss of a manned U.S. aircraft during the conflict.
Earlier in the campaign, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were shot down in what officials described as an apparent friendly-fire incident over Kuwait on March 1. All six airmen aboard those aircraft survived.
A U.S. military official also said that roughly ten MQ-9 Reaper unmanned drones have been lost during the ongoing conflict.
The KC-135 Stratotanker is a long-serving aerial refueling aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force to extend the operational reach of combat aircraft. When adjusted for inflation from its fiscal year 1998 procurement costs, the aircraft is estimated to cost roughly $80 million.
By comparison, F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets are estimated to cost about $62 million each, while MQ-9 Reaper drones carry procurement costs of roughly $23 million per aircraft, according to a 2023 report by the Congressional Research Service.
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