{"id":20035,"date":"2026-03-15T07:34:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T07:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/20035\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T07:34:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T07:34:27","slug":"3-birmingham-airmen-among-6-killed-in-iraq-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/20035\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Birmingham airmen among 6 killed in Iraq crash"},"content":{"rendered":"

TRUSSVILLE, Ala. (WBRC<\/a>) – Three members of the 117th Air Refueling Wing in Birmingham have died after a refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq.<\/p>\n

The United States Air Force says on March 12, a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq during Operation Epic Fury, killing all six members on board.<\/p>\n

Leaders of the 117th Air Refueling Wing in Birmingham said they are \u201cdeeply heartbroken\u201d by the tragic loss of three members of the co-located 99th Air Refueling Squadron, offering prayers and condolences to their families and loved ones, and mourning the service members as fellow teammates.<\/p>\n

Officials say search and rescue efforts for all six members, three active-duty airmen of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron and three airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard\u2019s 121st Air Refueling Wing, concluded March 13.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlex, Ashley, and Ariana are, and always will be members of the 117th family,\u201d said Col. Mike Adams, 117th Air Refueling Wing commander. \u201cEven though they were not members of the Air National Guard, to us they will always be remembered as Vulcan refuelers and Alabamians.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CaptainCaptain Ariana G. Savino(117th Air Refueling Wing)\"TechnicalTechnical Sargent Ashley B. Pruitt(117th Air Refueling Wing)\"LeftLeft to Right: Captain Ariana G. Savino, Major John “Alex” Klinner, Technical Sargent Ashley B. Pruitt(117th Air Refueling WIng)<\/p>\n

The United States Department of War has identified the three other victims as Captain Seth R.Koval, Captain Curtis J. Angst, and Technical Sargent Tyler H. Simmons.<\/p>\n

Klinner was an Auburn graduate and Trussville resident.<\/p>\n

Trussville Mayor Ben Short said<\/a> Major Klinner had only recently moved to the area with his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile his time here was short, the loss we feel is no less significant,\u201d Short said. \u201cHe was a husband, a father to three young children, and a man who chose a life of service to his country. His commitment to protecting others and serving something greater than himself represents the very best of our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Maj.Maj. Alex Kilnner(Mary Remmes via AP)<\/p>\n

Klinner graduated from the University of Auburn in 2016 with a degree in mechanical engineering.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis commitment to serving our nation reflects the courage, character and sense of duty demonstrated by those who choose a life of service,\u201d the university said<\/a> in a statement released on social media.<\/p>\n

Klinner was one of the six crewman aboard a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq Thursday<\/a> while supporting operations against Iran.<\/p>\n

Pentagon officials said Friday that the crash followed an incident involving another aircraft in western Iraq.<\/p>\n

The other plane landed safely.<\/p>\n

In total, six airmen died, the Pentagon confirmed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, our hearts break for the families who now face an unimaginable loss,\u201d Mayor Short said. \u201cSpouses, children, parents, and loved ones are grieving the loss of those who meant the world to them. No words can fully ease the pain they are experiencing, but they will not face it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trussville community members also reacting to the news. Danell Green, who has family in law enforcement, knows firsthand how much service members\u2019 families sacrifice. She said the community will rally behind this family and support them in whatever way possible. <\/p>\n

\u201cMen and women serving our country, serving the community and the city means a whole lot. They\u2019re here to protect and help us out. And so to know that he\u2019s passed, I\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to have a mighty impact on the community as a whole and probably the state too,\u201d Green said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to imagine it being in her shoes, but I can. My heart goes out for her and the family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey released a statement Saturday night, saying the loss of the service members will never be forgotten.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree of the service members who lost their lives in duty to our nation were stationed at the 117th in Birmingham. They were not only outstanding Airmen. They were our neighbors \u2014 our fellow Alabamians. May their service and that of their families never be forgotten.”<\/p>\n

Senator Tommy Tuberville says the state of Alabama is deeply grieving the loss of Klinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeartbreaking to learn that Auburn alumnus and Birmingham resident Alex Klinner was among those killed in the KC-135 crash this week. Our state deeply grieves the loss of a father, husband, and a true patriot. I hope every Alabamian will join me in prayer for the Klinner family during this tragic time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Senator Katie Britt released a statement Saturday after learning the news of Klinner\u2019s passing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve since learned that one of the brave service members was an Alabamian, Maj. Alex Klinner. Wesley and I are incredibly heartbroken. Please join us and our entire state as we mourn this loss and lift his family, community, and loved ones up in prayer. We will never forget his service and sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gen. Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, says all six members killed are heros.<\/p>\n

Shannon and I join our\u00a0entire National Guard family in\u00a0mourning the loss of six brave KC-135 Airmen, including three Ohio Air National Guardsmen assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing and three active-duty Airmen from the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, a partner unit with the Alabama National Guard\u2019s 117th Air Refueling Wing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Heroes, all.<\/p>\n

Our air refueling warriors enable every aerial combat mission to succeed by skillfully transferring tens of thousands of pounds of fuel at cruising altitudes and high speeds, extending global reach and delivering decisive\u00a0air dominance for our Joint Force.\u00a0Combat aviators in every service understand the critical role of our air refueling crews and boom operators.<\/p>\n

Immense respect for these valiant Airmen. Our thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences to their Families, Wingmen and the entire tanker community.<\/p>\n

GoFundMe\u2019s have been created to help support the families. You can donate to the Klinner by clicking or tapping here<\/a>. You can donate to the Pruitt family by clicking or tapping here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Col. Adams says the 117th Air Refueling Wing has established a Family Assistance Center to support all who are effected by the loss. Officials say counseling services and chaplains are always available to service members, civilian employees, and families at Sumpter Smith JNGB.<\/p>\n

Officials say \u201cthe circumstances of the incident are under investigation, and more information will be released as it becomes available.\u201d<\/p>\n

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store<\/a> and Google Play Store<\/a> or subscribe to our email newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 WBRC. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TRUSSVILLE, Ala. (WBRC) – Three members of the 117th Air Refueling Wing in Birmingham have died after a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20036,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[1726,9749,9747,9752,9753,9751,9745,9744,34,94,9748,9746,42,9750,9743],"class_list":{"0":"post-20035","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-iraq","8":"tag-air-force","9":"tag-alabama","10":"tag-alex-klinner","11":"tag-auburn","12":"tag-auburn-university","13":"tag-ben-short","14":"tag-fox-6","15":"tag-fox6","16":"tag-iran","17":"tag-iraq","18":"tag-major","19":"tag-myfoxal","20":"tag-news","21":"tag-trussville","22":"tag-wbrc"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116232038985099982","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20035"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20035\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}