President Trump on Wednesday paid his respects to six U.S. airmen killed during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war, following the crash of their KC-135 refueling aircraft in Iraq.
The president attended the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Ala.; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Wash.; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Ky.; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Ind.; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
At the request of the families, the dignified transfer was conducted privately.
Upon arriving at Dover, President Trump was greeted by Col. Jamil Musa, commander of the 436th Airlift Wing, and Col. Martha “Jeannie” Sasnett, head of Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations.
Also in attendance were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Sen. John Husted (R-Ohio), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.).
This marked the second time since the conflict began on Feb. 28 that President Trump has attended a dignified transfer ceremony—an honored military tradition in which the remains of fallen service members are respectfully returned to the United States and transferred from the aircraft to a waiting vehicle.
The six airmen were killed on March 12 over friendly territory in western Iraq during an air refueling mission. According to U.S. Central Command, the crash followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in Iraqi airspace. Officials confirmed there was no “hostile or friendly fire,” and the incident remains under investigation.
The crash brings the U.S. death toll in Operation Epic Fury to at least 13 service members. The Pentagon also reported that approximately 200 U.S. personnel have been injured in the conflict, including 10 with severe injuries.
President Trump previously traveled to Dover on March 7 to honor six service members killed in an Iranian drone strike on a command center in Kuwait.
