Pentagon identifies 6 airmen, including 3 members of Ohio Air National Guard, killed in crash over Iraq
The Pentagon has identified the six airmen who were killed as part of a crash that happened over Iraq during Operation Epic Fury on Thursday.Three of those who were killed were serving in the Ohio Air National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus.The deceased members of the Ohio Air National Guard were identified as 38-year-old Capt. Seth R. Koval of Mooresville, Indiana, 30-year-old Capt. Curtis J. Angst of Wilmington, Ohio, and 28-year-old Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons of Columbus, Ohio.Additionally, three airmen of the 6th Air Refueling Wing that were based out of the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa Bay, Florida, were also killed.They have been identified as 33-year-old Maj. John A. Klinner of Auburn, Alabama, 31-year-old Capt. Ariana G. Savino of Covington, Washington, and 34-year-old Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt of Bardstown, Kentucky.Pruitt's death marks the second Kentuckian to be killed as part of the U.S.-Iran war, after 26-year-old Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington of Glendale was killed in a strike on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 1.U.S. Central Command has previously said that the crash was not caused by either hostile or friendly fire, but did not elaborate further. Two planes were reportedly involved during the incident, with the plane carrying the six identified airmen the only one of the two to have crashed.The Pentagon says that the crash remains under investigation.On Saturday, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered flags across Ohio to be flown at half-staff until the funerals of the three airmen are held.The casualties bring the U.S. death toll to 13 as part of Operation Epic Fury, which is now stretching into its third week.
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