The Pentagon on Saturday identified the six United States service members who died this week when a refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq amid the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and the wider conflict in the Middle East.
The service members were 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; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
U.S. Central Command had stated that the aircraft crashed after an incident involving another plane, which landed safely. The crash, which happened Thursday in western Iraq, was not a result of hostile or friendly fire, the Central Command said.
The plane that went down was a KC-135, which is used by the Air Force to refuel a wide range of aircraft while in flight. A U.S. official previously said that the other plane involved was also a KC-135.
Three of the service members — Major Klinner, Captain Savino and Sergeant Pruitt — were assigned to the Sixth Air Refueling Wing at the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.
The other three were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Ohio, the Pentagon said.
The six deaths brought the total number of American service members killed in the war with Iran to at least 13 as it stretched into its third week.
Orlando Mayorquín is a Times reporter covering California. He is based in Los Angeles.
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