An aviation enthusiast paid a moving tribute to three members of the Ohio Air National Guard, days after they were among six service personnel killed in a refueling tanker crash in western Iraq.
In just 21 days of conflict, at least 16 military aircraft—12 drones and four planes, including THAAD radar systems, an F-35 stealth fighter jet, and even the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, though not all incidents were caused directly by enemy fire. Boeing manufactured the KC-135 Stratotanker for the US military in the 1950s and early 1960s. The Ohio National Guard and the 121st Air Refueling Wing later honored Koval, Angst, and Simmons, BBC News reported.
In early March, three F-15 fighter jets were shot down in “an apparent friendly fire incident” over Kuwait, officials said. Also killed in the incident were Major John Alex Klinner of Auburn, Alabama; Captain Ariana G. Savino of Covington, Washington; and Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt of Bardstown, Kentucky. All six crew members were able to safely eject.
The military said the aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.