The families of the latest group of service members to die in President Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East have begun identifying their loved ones.
Major Alex Klinner of Birmingham, Alabama, is one of the six American service members killed on Thursday when an Air Force refueling aircraft crashed while supporting military operations in Iran.
Klinner, 33, was an eight-year veteran who had been promoted to his current rank in January and had been on deployment for less than a week. He leaves behind a wife and three young children.
“Alex was more than a serviceman. He was a devoted husband, a loving father, and the kind of person who would quietly step in to help anyone who needed it,” a GoFundMe set up in support of his family reads.
“He embodied what it means to be a servant leader. His loss has left an immeasurable void in the lives of all who knew and loved him.”
Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons is the second of the six individuals to be identified in the crash. The 28-year-old was an only child who had been described as being able to light up any room.
“He had a million-dollar smile,” Tracy Peaks, Simmons’ cousin, told 10WBNS. “When people see my cousin, they’d be like, ‘That smile is gonna take him places.’ And it took him to his dream job.”
Simmons’ mother, Cheryl, said that she never wanted him to join the military but that he had promised her he would retire soon and become a commercial pilot. Simmons’ job was that of a boom operator, the individual responsible for transferring fuel to the aircraft in need while in the air.
“He was truly an amazing man,” said Simmons’ mother, “And to do the job as an air refueler, is a special person.”
Simmons leaves behind his extended family and his dog, Grayson.
While the Pentagon has not publicly confirmed any of the names, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement that three of the six (presumably including Simmons) “were Ohioans deployed with the Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refueling Wing.”
The 121st Air Refueling Wing, which is based at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, confirmed the news in a Facebook post to Facebook on Friday evening, writing:
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the tragic news of the passing of three Airmen from the 121st Air Refueling Wing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and fellow Airmen who mourn their loss.
“On March 12, 2026, they were among the six Airmen on a KC-135 Stratotanker that went down in western Iraq while flying a combat mission in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility. The incident occurred in friendly airspace involving two aircraft during Operation Epic Fury.”
While asking for respect and privacy for the families, the group noted that “We share in the sorrow of their loved ones, and we must not forget the valuable contributions these Airmen made to their country and the impact they have left on our organization.”
The Pentagon has yet to formally identify those killed in accordance with its policy of not doing so until 24 hours after the next of kin has been notified.
The latest casualties bring the total number of Americans killed in Trump’s war on Iran to 13. An estimated 2,000 people have reportedly been killed across the region since Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran in the early morning hours of Sat, Feb. 28—exactly two weeks ago.
Trump has said that he expects more deaths.
“Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case,” Trump remarked of American deaths during the conflict in a March 1 video address.
Trump, 79, had initially promised the war would be over quickly and encouraged the Iranian people to “rise up” and seize control of their government.
However, following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—whose son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has taken control of the country—Trump has revised that timeline. On Friday, as the death toll rose, the president claimed the conflict would be resolved “when I feel it in my bones.”
