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Three members of the Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refueling Wing were among six crewmen killed March 12 when their KC-135R Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq.
Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio, were supporting Operation Epic Fury, according to a Pentagon casualty report.
The wing normally operates from Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio.
U.S. Central Command said the crash was part of “an incident” involving two KC-135R aircraft. The second landed safely. The incident was not due to hostile fire, officials said. It is under investigation.
Maj. Gen. Matthew S. Woodruff, the adjutant general of Ohio, said the three were “remarkable Airmen whose service and commitment embodied the very best of our Ohio National Guard,” in a March 14 statement.
“The family is strong,” added Maj. Gen. David B. Johnson, the assistant adjutant general-Air. “The family is grieving. Hearts are heavy — a significant loss of human treasure. The family is joining together to mourn this loss and to get through.”
Three active-component Airmen also died in the crash. They were Maj. John Alex Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky.
They were members of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, which is an active associate of the Alabama Air National Guard’s 117th Air Refueling Wing at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama.
“Alex, Ashley and Ariana are, and always will be, members of the 117th family,” said Col. Mike Adams, the wing commander in a release. “Even though they were not members of the Air National Guard, to us they will always be remembered as Vulcan refuelers and Alabamians.”
Retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn, the NGAUS president, Sunday addressed the loss of the six Airmen, and all service members lost in Operation Epic Fury to date.
“This is a devastating loss to our Air National Guard family. Our hearts are with the families and colleagues of all who have given their lives in support of Operation Epic Fury,” he said. “We honor their dedicated service and will not forget their sacrifice.’ he said.
The crash of the KC-135 occurred almost eight years after a similar tragic incident.
On March 15, 2018, an Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter — call sign “Jolly 51” — crashed in Anbar Province, Western Iraq, killing all seven service members.
The crew included members from the New York Air Guard's 106th Rescue Wing.
—By Jennifer Hickey
