Six U.S. Airmen Identified After KC-135 Crash During Operation Epic Fury

The families of six U.S. service members killed when a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed on March 12, 2026, have been formally identified. The aircraft went down in western Iraq while supporting U.S. Central Command operations tied to strikes in the region.

Major Alex Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama, was among those lost. An eight-year Air Force veteran recently promoted in January, Klinner was assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base and had been on deployment for less than a week. He is survived by his wife and three young children. A GoFundMe set up for the family described him as "a devoted husband, a loving father, and the kind of person who would quietly step in to help anyone who needed it," adding that he "embodied what it means to be a servant leader."

The Pentagon has formally identified the six service members killed in Trump's war in Iran. / Department of Defense

Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons, 28, was also publicly identified. Simmons, an only child, was remembered for his "million-dollar smile" and his ambition to become a commercial pilot after military service. He served as a boom operator—the crew member responsible for transferring fuel between aircraft in flight—and is survived by extended family and his dog, Grayson.

Trump attended the dignified transfer of the first group of departed servicemen to return from the Middle East while wearing a baseball cap he is currently selling on his merchandise website. / Nathan Howard / REUTERS

On Saturday the Pentagon released the names of the four other airmen killed: Captain Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington, and Tech Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky, both assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing; and Captain Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana, and Captain Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio, who served with Simmons in the 121st Air Refueling Wing.

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The 121st Air Refueling Wing, based at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, confirmed the loss in a Facebook post. The unit said the six airmen were aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker that went down "in western Iraq while flying a combat mission in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility" and that the incident occurred in friendly airspace and involved two aircraft during Operation Epic Fury.

"It is with a heavy heart that we share the tragic news of the passing of three Airmen from the 121st Air Refueling Wing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and fellow Airmen who mourn their loss," the statement read.

These six deaths raise the number of American service members reported killed in the campaign tied to strikes on Iran to 13. Regional sources estimate roughly 2,000 people have been killed across the area since strikes that began on Feb. 28, though independent verification of all casualty figures remains difficult in the evolving conflict.

President Donald Trump acknowledged on March 1 that additional American casualties were possible, saying in a video address, "Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case." The president earlier urged Iranians to "rise up" against their government; after reports of major leadership changes in Iran, he later said the conflict would be resolved "when I feel it in my bones."

Military officials and units have asked for privacy for the bereaved families while the investigation into the crash and the circumstances surrounding the mission continue. Many have offered condolences and set up support funds to assist the families of the fallen.