Gov. Kay Ivey, R-Ala., ordered American flags be lowered to half-staff Tuesday in honor of three fallen service members who were stationed in Birmingham, Alabama, prior to their deaths in Iraq during the war with Iran.
Officials confirmed six service members died Thursday in an incident involving a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft, which was operating over western Iraq in support of Operation Epic Fury.
Ivey said three of the six fallen military personnel served in the 99th Air Refueling Squadron of the 117th Air Refueling Wing located at Sumpter Smith Joint Air National Guard Base.
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“To honor these brave military personnel who gave their lives in service to our country, I am directing all flags be lowered on the day of interment of Alabama native Major John A. Klinner,” Ivey wrote in a memo.
The date of Klinner’s interment has not yet been announced.
Maj. John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33, a resident of Trussville, Ala, and Auburn University alumnus, served as chief of squadron standardization and evaluations.
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Klinner, an eight-year Air Force veteran, received awards including the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Aerial Achievement Medal and the Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.
He is survived by his wife, Libby, and their three young children.
A GoFundMe campaign for Klinner’s family has raised nearly $1.4 million from roughly 13,000 donors, as of Tuesday.
The other two fallen service members who served in the 99th Air Refueling Squadron were identified as Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Washington, who was a graduate of Central Washington University and Air Force ROTC — with over 300 combat hours, and Technical Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Kentucky, who received two associate’s degrees from the Community College of the Air Force and had over 900 combat flight hours.
Pruitt is survived by her husband, Gregory, a young daughter and a stepson.
