In this photo provided by the U.S. Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, a boom operator assigned to the Ohio National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing in Columbus, Ohio, speaks during the Enlisted Leadership Symposium at Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna in Trumbull County on June 27, 2023. (Airman 1st Class Nicholas Battani/U.S. Air National Guard via AP)

Three Ohioans are among the six killed Thursday in a crash of their refueling plane in western Iraq in a combat mission in the war in Iran, U.S. officials said Saturday.

They were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus. They were identified by federal and state officials as Capt. Seth Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28.

The U.S. government listed Koval from Mooresville, Indiana, while the Ohio National Guard listed his home as Stoutsville, Ohio. The Ohio National Guard listed both Angst and Simmons from Columbus, while the U.S. government listed Angst as from Wilmington, Ohio.

The aircraft was in “friendly” airspace, supporting operations against Iran, when an unspecified incident involving another aircraft occurred, according to U.S. Central Command. The other plane landed safety, U.S. military officials said.

Three other people killed in the crash had been assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida and who Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said were stationed in Birmingham.

One of them had just been promoted to major in January and had been deployed less than a week when the refueling aircraft he was aboard crashed.

Alex Klinner, 33, leaves behind three small children: 7-month-old twins and a 2-year-old son, his brother-in-law, James Harrill, said Saturday while confirming his death.

“It’s kind of heartbreaking to say: He was just a really good dad and really loved his family a lot — like a lot,” Harrill said.

On Saturday, the U.S. government identified the other two stationed at McGill as Capt. Ariana Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky.

OHIO VICTIM

A man with a ready smile

Simmons was a boom operator responsible for transferring fuel from the tanker to the receiving aircraft, according to his Air Force biography.

His mother, Cheryl Simmons, said Saturday that she was making funeral plans for her son.

In a statement obtained by WCMH-TV in Columbus, Tyler Simmons’ family said it was saddened beyond measure to hear of the fatal crash.

“Tyler’s smile could light up any room, his strong presence would fill it. His parents, grandparents, family and friends are grief stricken for the loss of life,” they said.

The Ohio National Guard said Koval was an aircraft commander with 19 years of service. A graduate of Purdue University, he served in the Indiana National Guard before transferring to an Ohio unit in 2017, according to his Air Force biography.

Angst was a pilot with 10 years of service who graduated from the University of Cincinnati, according to his Air Force biography provided by the Ohio National Guard.

Thirteen Americans have now been killed in the war, which is entering its third week this weekend.

DEWINE ORDER

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Saturday ordered U.S. and Ohio flags to be flown at half-staff on all public buildings statewide until sunset on the day of their funerals to honor the three Ohio Air National Guard members.

The refueling aircraft is a mainstay in the US military

U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, has said the crash occurred on a combat mission but was over “friendly” territory in western Iraq. Military officials said it is being investigated and was “not due to hostile or friendly fire.”

The KC-135 aircraft refuels other planes in midair, allowing them to fly longer distances and sustain operations without landing. The plane can also be used to transport wounded personnel and conduct surveillance missions, according to military experts.

The Congressional Research Service says the Air Force last year had 376 KC-135s, including 151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard and 62 in the Air Force Reserve. It has been in service for more than 60 years.