In this January 2026 photo, US Air Force Master Sgt. Aaron Slupski prepares to marshal a KC-135 Stratotanker at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. SENIOR MASTER SGT. RALPH BRANSON / AP
The Pentagon on Saturday, March 14, released the identities of six US crew members killed during the crash of a refueling aircraft in western Iraq earlier this week, which authorities said was not caused by "hostile fire."
The KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, bringing the number of US troops killed in operations against Iran to at least 13. A second aircraft involved in the operation landed safely.
The Pentagon said the six members killed in the crash were: John Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Ariana Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Seth Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Curtis Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
The first three were members of the US Air Force, while the latter three were stationed with the US Air National Guard. The crash remains under investigation, Pentagon officials said, but US Central Command previously stated that "the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire."
