A private homecoming event for the families of three Ohio National Guard airmen killed in the crash of their KC-135 refueling plane in Iraq earlier this month will be held March 29.
The airmen, identified as Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30, of Wilmington; and Capt. Seth Koval, 38, of Stoutsville will return March 29 to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Columbus, a statement from the the Adjutant General’s Department and Ohio National Guard said.
“This event is specifically focused on the families and loved ones of our fallen airmen,” the statement said. “It is the final journey of our service members back to Ohio and to their families.”
The event will not be open to the media or public, the statement said.
Capt. Curtis Angst, Capt. Seth Koval and Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons
The Columbus Division of Police will be involved in a procession when the airmen’s remains are transferred from the airport to funeral homes, Columbus police Sgt. James Fuqua said. That will take place between 1 and 2 p.m. March 29.
The airmen’s remains first arrived back in the United States on March 18 with a dignified transfer taking place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Curtis, Angst, and Simmons belonged to the 166th Air Refueling Squadron connected to the 121st Air Refueling Wing based at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus.
The airmen, as well as three other service members, died March 12 when their KC-135 tanker crashed in western Iraq during a mission in support of Operation Epic Fury in Iran. The cause of the crash, which happened in friendly airspace, has not been publicly identified. U.S. Central Command has said it did not involve hostile or friendly fire, and military experts have theorized the crash may have resulted from a collision with a second KC-135 that sustained heavy damage to its tail fin but landed safely at an airport in Tel Aviv.
Dispatch reporters Shahid Meighan and Bethany Bruner contributed to this report.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio National Guard airmen to be honored at private March 29 event