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<\/p>\nThe remains of three Ohio airmen who were killed in the crash of their KC-135 refueling plane in Iraq earlier this month will be returned this weekend, according to a family member of one of the deceased.<\/p>\n
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 be brought back March 29 to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Columbus, said Charles Simmons, Tyler’s father.<\/p>\n
“Tyler will have a hero’s welcome, because he is a hero,” said Charles.<\/p>\n
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Capt. Curtis Angst, Capt. Seth Koval and Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons<\/p>\n
The Columbus Division of Police will be involved in the funeral procession when the airmen’s remains are transferred from the airport to funeral homes, said Columbus police Sgt. James Fuqua. That will take place between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. March 29, said Fuqua.<\/p>\n
The airmen’s remains first arrived back in the U.S. on March 18 with a dignified transfer taking place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.<\/p>\n
Curtis, Angst, and Simmons were members of the 166th Air Refueling Squadron connected to the 121st Air Refueling Wing<\/a> based at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus.<\/p>\n The airmen, as well as three other servicemembers, died on March 12 when their KC-135 tanker<\/a> crashed in western Iraq during a mission in support of Operation Epic Fury in Iran. The cause of the crash, which occurred in friendly airspace, has not been publicly identified. U.S. Central Command has said the incident did not involve hostile or friendly fire, and military experts have theorized the crash may have been the result of a collision with a second KC-135 that sustained heavy damage to its tail fin but landed safely at an airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.<\/p>\n 1 \/ 0<\/p>\n Amanda-Clearcreek honors Ohio Air National Guard member Capt. Seth Koval<\/p>\n Amanda-Clearcreek Superintendent Timothy Edwards speaks to community members as they gather to honor Ohio Air National Guard member Capt. Seth Koval at the flagpole outside the 3-12 school building on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Amanda, Ohio. Koval was one of six airmen who died in a KC-135 tanker crash in Iraq.<\/p>\n Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at\u00a0smeighan@dispatch.com<\/a>, at ShahidMeighan on X<\/a>, and at\u00a0shahidthereporter.dispatch.com<\/a>\u00a0on Bluesky.\u00a0<\/p>\n