Tributes to the six crew members that died in the KC-135 Stratotanker crash in Iraq have flooded social media since the Pentagon released their identities March 14. They were the first Airmen to die while supporting Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
The March 12 crash in western Iraq is believed to be a midair collision, but the circumstances surrounding the incident are still unclear. An investigation is ongoing, but the Pentagon has said the crash was not a result of hostile or friendly fire.
The six Airmen killed in the crash are:
- Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Ala.
- Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Wash.
- Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Ky.
- Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Ind.
- Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio
- 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, Fla., but were part of the 99th Refueling Squadron stationed at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Ala. Koval, Angst, and Simmons were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio.
The crew of the KC-135, call sign ZEUS 95, included husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, sons, daughters, and siblings whose loved ones took to Facebook, X, and other social media sites to share memories.
Simmons’ mother, Cheryl, described when U.S. military officials arrived at her home to notify her and her husband, Milo, that their son had been killed.
“When they knocked on the door and Milo answered the door, I heard that he said, ‘oh no,’ and I knew, I knew … from there on, life would never, ever, ever be the same,” she told CBS News. “He was our only child.”
“He was a hero to his family.”
Cheryl Simmons' son, Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, was among the six U.S. service members killed in a military refueling aircraft crash over Iraq last week. Simmons says her son loved being in the military and told her that while he knew the risks,… pic.twitter.com/42nzmxg6ZB— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 16, 2026
Simmons entered the Air Force in 2017 and first became a security forces specialist before transitioning to become an inflight refueling specialist, or boom operator, in 2022. Simmons deployed during Operational Freedom’s Sentinel in 2018 and Spartan Shield in 2023 before deploying to support Epic Fury, according to his Air Force bio.
His mother said Simmons had plans for the future. “He wanted to be married; he wanted to have children,” she said, describing her son as a “man of purpose,” when he decided to join the Air Force.
“I just thank God that he was the way he was. … Tyler [said] ‘mom, I’m doing this. I understand the risk, and I know this is what it’s going to take. I know I could lose my life, but this is what I want to do. I was born for this.’ And so, you know, how can you fight with that?”
Koval’s wife, Heather Koval, said in a statement that her husband “always put others before himself—until the very end.”
Koval enlisted into the Air Force in 2006 and became a machinist with the Indiana National Guard’s 122nd Fighter Wing. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aviation operations from Purdue University in 2011 before transferring to the Ohio Air National Guard in 2017. He was commissioned in 2018 with the 121st Air Refueling Wing, completed pilot training in January 2020, and then went on to complete instructor pilot training in 2024, according to his Air Force bio. He served multiple deployments to Europe, the Pacific, and the Middle East.
“Our world was shattered two days ago; there is nothing that can prepare you to receive news that you’ve lost the love of your life,” Koval’s wife said in a statement shared on Facebook on behalf of her family.
“He was truly the most amazing husband, father, son, brother, friend, and Airman. He loved what he did, and he was proud to put his uniform on and serve others. He grew up dreaming about becoming a pilot and to stand beside him as he made his dreams come true was an honor.”
Angst died “doing what he loved most—flying and serving alongside the men and women he cared so deeply about,” his family said in a statement posted to his wife Mary Angst’s Facebook page.
“Those who knew Curtis remember his steady kindness and the joy he carried with him everywhere he went,” according to the statement. “He was always ready to help someone else before himself. His constant smile and instantly recognizable laugh made people feel welcome, valued, and part of something bigger.”
Angst initially enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard on May 6, 2015, as a vehicle maintenance technician with the 123rd Air Control Squadron. He then commissioned in 2021 and attended undergraduate pilot training in 2022, followed by the KC-135R Pilot Initial Qualification in 2024, according to his Air Force bio. Before Epic Fury, Angst deployed in 2015 to support Spartan Shield.
Aside from being “deeply devoted” to his wife Mary, “he was dedicated to serving his country; he deeply valued the people he had the privilege to serve alongside,” the family statement read.
In a statement shared with multiple media outlets, Savino’s family described her as “fierce, brave, passionate.”
“Her smile would brighten every room she walked into, and her energy and laughter were nothing short of contagious,” her family added. “We take comfort in knowing that Ariana died doing the one thing she loved the most—flying.”
Savino, who was chief of current operations for the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, received her commission in 2017 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps from Central Washington University, Wash., according to a 6th Air Refueling Wing release. She graduated from training as a Combat Systems Officer in 2020 and then served at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., as a standardization and evaluation officer, assistant flight commander, and flight commander. She deployed in 2020 to support Spartan Shield.
Savino became a KC-135 pilot in 2025. In her role at Sumpter Smith, she oversaw her unit’s flying-hour program.
Libby Klinner wrote on Facebook that “I can’t hold back my tears because of how I feel and how much I miss him,” sharing a photo of herself and Klinner.
The couple had 7-month-old twins and a 2-year-old son, according to the Associated Press and a GoFundMe set up for the family. In another social media post, Libby Klinner reflected on the impact to her children.
“They won’t get to see firsthand the way he would jump up to help in any way he could,” she wrote. “They won’t see how goofy and funny he was. They won’t witness his selflessness, the way he thought about everyone else before himself. They won’t get to feel the deep love he had for them.”
Klinner served as chief of squadron standardizations and evaluations at the 99th. He entered the Air Force in 2017 through Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps from Auburn University, according to the 6th Air Refueling Wing release. After completing pilot training in November 2018, he was assigned to the 92nd Air Refueling Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. He completed advanced instrument training and instructor pilot training in 2022, followed by evaluator pilot upgrade in 2024 while assigned to the 99th. Klinner deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in 2019, Atlas Guardian in 2020, and Southern Spear in 2022.
Pruitt was an assistant flight chief of operations and a KC-135 boom operator instructor for the 99th, according to the 6th Air Refueling Wing release. She entered the Air Force in May 2017 and completed Career Enlisted Aviator training in February 2018 and then the Initial Boom Operator course in July 2021. Pruitt had multiple deployments between since 2018 including Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel.
Pruitt is survived by two children and her husband, Gregory.
“I’ll give you something brief: in a word, radiant,” he told the Associated Press “If there was a light in the room, she was it.”