Soldier killed when a refueling tanker crashed in Iraq is a 34-year-old from Kentucky
Updated: 11:32 PM EDT Mar 14, 2026
A soldier from Kentucky has been identified as one of the six U.S. soldiers inside a plane that went down in Iraq on Friday.Her name is Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34. She was from Bardstown, Kentucky, which is in Nelson County, about 45 minutes away from Louisville.The DoW said she and six other soldiers — Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama, Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington, Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana, Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio, and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio. — died March 12 after a KC-135, a refueling tanker, crashed in western Iraq. Sgt. Pruitt was assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and was supporting Operation Epic Fury at the time of her death.She joined the Air Force in 2017 and had been deployed four times during her time as a service member.Gen. Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard, said in part, “Shannon and I join our entire National Guard family in mourning the loss of six brave KC-135 Airmen” and “Immense respect for these valiant Airmen. Our thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences to their Families, Wingmen and the entire tanker community.”
BARDSTOWN, Ky. —
A soldier from Kentucky has been identified as one of the six U.S. soldiers inside a plane that went down in Iraq on Friday.
Her name is Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34. She was from Bardstown, Kentucky, which is in Nelson County, about 45 minutes away from Louisville.
The DoW said she and six other soldiers — Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama, Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington, Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana, Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio, and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio. — died March 12 after a KC-135, a refueling tanker, crashed in western Iraq.
Sgt. Pruitt was assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and was supporting Operation Epic Fury at the time of her death.
She joined the Air Force in 2017 and had been deployed four times during her time as a service member.
Gen. Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard, said in part, “Shannon and I join our entire National Guard family in mourning the loss of six brave KC-135 Airmen” and “Immense respect for these valiant Airmen. Our thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences to their Families, Wingmen and the entire tanker community.”