Six U.S. service members who had been killed in a army refueling plane crash over Iraq final week have been recognized as members of the Ohio Air Nationwide Guard and Florida-based crew members.
The Division of Protection on Saturday recognized them as:
- Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana
- Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio
- Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio
- 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
Koval, Angst and Simmons had been assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air Nationwide Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio.
Klinner, Savino and Pruitt had been assigned to the sixth Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Pressure Base, Florida.
Nationwide Guard
Simmons’ mom, Cheryl Simmons, recalled to CBS affiliate WBNS Friday the second uniformed officers arrived at their dwelling to ship the information.
“When he opened the door he mentioned, ‘Oh no,’ and I jumped up and ran in there and so they had been lined up out on the porch,” she informed the station. “‘You bought to be kidding me.'”
The six serviced members died on March 12 when an aerial refueling plane collaborating in operations in opposition to Iran crashed in western Iraq. The KC-135 plane went down close to Turaibil, which is alongside the Iraqi-Jordanian border, an Iraqi intelligence supply informed CBS Information.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth praised them as “American heroes.”
Air Pressure Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers, mentioned the crew was on a fight mission however flying over pleasant territory when the crash occurred. The incident is underneath investigation, the Protection Division mentioned.
