Di età compresa tra i 28 e i 38 anni, erano aviatori a bordo di un aereo che portava il rifornimento alle truppe. Ora il bilancio dei morti sale a 13
Six U.S. Navy aviators died Thursday, just five days after the outbreak of conflict in Iran, when their aircraft crashed in Iraq. The service members, all young men between the ages of 28 and 38, leave behind spouses, children, parents, and siblings. They will never be seen again by their families except in a flag-draped coffin.
Confirmation of their deaths came in recent hours from the Pentagon, which on Saturday identified the bodies of the aviators. An investigation into the incident has been opened. The victims are Major John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Captain Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Captain Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Captain Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and 28-year-old Sergeant Tyler H. Simmons of Columbus, Ohio. With their deaths, the number of soldiers killed since the start of the war in Iran rises to 13.
The crew members were aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft when it crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, the U.S. Military stated, adding that the incident “was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire.”
A previous statement indicated that two aircraft were involved in an incident in western Iraq during Operation Epic Fury, the name the Pentagon has given to the war against Iran. The statement said the second aircraft landed safely.
John "Alex" Klinner
CNN reports that Major John “Alex” Klinner, 33, was “more than just a military man.” In Alabama, in Auburn, he leaves behind his wife, Libby Klinner, and their three young children: a 2-year-old and 7-month-old twins, according to a GoFundMe page created to raise funds to support his family after his death. “He was a devoted husband, a loving father and the kind of person who would quietly step forward to help anyone in need. He embodied the meaning of leadership in service to others,” the fundraising page reads.
Klinner served as a major in the Air Force for eight years and was recently deployed on March 12th in support of Operation Epic Fury. “If his death has any meaning – if the death of any of them has any meaning – then please, do not seem away,” his aunt, Jean Marie Dillon, wrote in a Facebook post. “His name was Major Alex Klinner, and he mattered.”
According to the Air Force, Klinner was the standardization and evaluation officer for the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, where he oversaw the training and flight proficiency of over 30 crew members as a flight evaluator. During his career, he participated in several overseas missions in support of operations in Europe and the Middle East.
A graduate of Auburn University, Klinner received his commission as an officer through the Air Force ROTC program in 2017. The university expressed its condolences on his death in a statement.
Captain Ariana G. Savino
Savino was an “exceptional person, a future high-level leader, a mentor to young Latina women, and a current superstar in the Air Force,” who died “doing what she loved,” her friend Ernesto Nisperos wrote in a Facebook post. “One of those people who lit up every room she walked into. Her smile was not only contagious but disarming. She brought energy, grit, and an unwavering commitment to improving everyone around her,” he added.
Originally from Covington, 31-year-old Savino served as the chief of current operations for the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, overseeing the unit’s daily flight schedule and coordinating its training and missions, according to the Air Force. She received her commission as an officer in 2017 through the Air Force ROTC program at Central Washington University and initially served as a combat systems officer before completing pilot training in 2025 and earning her KC-135 pilot qualification. During her career, she frequently deployed to the Middle East.
Sergeant Tyler H. Simmons
Simmons, from Columbus, Ohio, had a “million-dollar smile” that, according to his family, would take him far, including to his dream job, his cousin Tracy Peaks told CNN affiliate WBNS. Simmons played football and graduated from Eastmoor Academy High School in 2015 before working in security and then becoming an airborne bomb technician in the military. His parents recall the exact moment uniformed officials arrived at their door to inform them of their son’s death, his mother Cheryl Simmons told WBNS through tears. Tyler was an only child, and his mother had hoped he would choose a path other than military service.
Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt
Pruitt served as an airborne refueling instructor and assistant chief of flight operations with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, where she oversaw training and operational readiness and instructed fellow refueling personnel on precise aerial refueling techniques, according to the Air Force.
Entering the Air Force in 2017, she quickly rose through the ranks, assuming leadership responsibilities within the squadron and participating in several missions supporting operations in the Middle East. She was promoted to technical sergeant last May. Pruitt, Klinner, and Savino were members of MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, which said it was “devastated” by their loss. They were members of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, according to a Department of Defense statement.
Captain Seth R. Koval
Koval served in the Air Force for 19 years, enlisting initially as an aircraft mechanic in the National Guard. He was responsible for training pilots in “aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation, cargo and passenger operations worldwide,” according to a statement from the National Guard.
His family said their “world shattered” with the sudden loss of a husband and father who had dreamed of flying since childhood. Koval, they said, wore the uniform with purpose. “My husband was many things: loving, generous, kind-hearted, intelligent, devoted, a jack-of-all-trades, a true nature lover and selfless,” his wife, Heather Nicole, wrote on Facebook. “He always put others before himself, even until the end. I will see him in our son’s smile and carry him with me always.”
He graduated from Purdue University in Indiana in 2011 with a degree in aeronautical operations before joining the Ohio Air National Guard in 2017, the Guard said. Among his awards and decorations are the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, and Air and Space Achievement Medal.
Captain Curtis J. Angst
Angst earned a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati, the Ohio National Guard stated. He enlisted in May 2015 as a vehicle maintenance technician. He completed basic pilot training in 2022, before receiving his initial pilot qualification in 2024. He was responsible for “aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation, cargo and passenger operations globally,” the Guard said. Angst deployed in 2015 and 2026 in support of Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Epic Fury, the Guard said. Angst’s awards and decorations include the Air and Space Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Meritorious Unit Award.
