President Donald Trump paid tribute Wednesday at a military base in Delaware where the remains of six US service members who died in a fuel plane crash were returned to their families.
It was the second time since he launched a war with Iran on February 28 that the president of the Republic will attend the solemn military ritual known as a dignified transfer, which he once described as “the most difficult thing” he has had to do as commander-in-chief.
Accompanying Trump were Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and lawmakers including Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, both Alabama Republicans.
All six crew members of a KC-135 Air Force refueling plane died last week in a plane crash over friendly territory in western Iraq while supporting operations against Iran. They came from Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Washington.
“Everyone on that plane carried a weight that most Americans will never see, and they carried it with professionalism, courage, and a level of quiet beauty that deserves recognition,” said Lt. Col Ernesto Nisperos, retired, a friend of one of those killed, said in a message on Wednesday.
The accident brought the US death toll in Operation Epic Fury to at least 13 members. About 200 US service members were injured, including 10 seriously, the Pentagon said.
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Wednesday’s dignified transfer was closed to media coverage at the request of the families in accordance with military policy. Trump spent less than two hours on the ground and did not speak to reporters leaving Air Force One or returning to it.
Trump last went to Dover Air Force Base on March 7 to pay his respects to six US service members who were killed in a drone strike at the command center in Kuwait. He saluted as flag transfer cases containing the remains of fallen members were carried from military aircraft to vehicles waiting to take them to a mortuary to prepare them for their final resting place.
“It’s the worst part of the war,” he told reporters afterward. Asked at the time if he was worried about making multiple trips to the base to be transferred to more modest locations as the war continued, he said, “I sure am. I hate to do it, but it’s part of the war, right?”
US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said the crash followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft “in friendly territory” over Iraq but that the loss of the aircraft during combat was “not caused by hostile or friendly fire.” The circumstances were being investigated. Another plane landed safely.
The crash killed three people assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida: Maj. John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33, who worked in Birmingham, Alabama; Captain Ariana Linse Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky.
Klinner, who leaves behind a wife, a 2-year-old son and 7-month-old twins, was known for his steadfast command and gentle nature, as well as his willingness to help others. Pruitt’s husband described her as a “radiant” woman who lit up a room. Savino was a friend, mentor and “source of positive energy” who was proud of her Puerto Rican heritage and an inspiration to young Latinas, said Nisperos, who serves as her family’s spokesperson.
“He had this warmth that made him stand out, an energy that was evident in everything he touched, and a spark – that spice – that made him unforgettable,” Nisperos said. “If you had known him, even for a short while, you would have known that you were in front of someone who would change the world.”
The other three are assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio: Captain Seth Koval, 38, a resident of Stoutsville, Ohio, who was originally from Mooresville, Indiana; Captain Curtis Angst, 30, who lived in Columbus; and Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus.
Koval grew up dreaming of becoming a pilot, according to his wife, who described him as a loving, generous “fixer of things.” Angst’s family said his life was defined by service, generosity and a “genuine love for people.” Simmons loved confiding in his 85-year-old grandmother and working with him, Sen. Jon Husted said on Tuesday, when he and Seni. Bernie Moreno honoring Ohio airmen on the Senate floor.
“To the mother and father of these three young soldiers, I can’t even process what you’re going through. I can’t even imagine the emotions you’re feeling,” Moreno said. “Just know that America is very grateful for the sacrifices made by your brave little sons.”
© 2026 The Canadian Press
