The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a resolution introduced by U.S. Senator Katie Britt, R-Alabama, to honor the six Air Force airmen killed on March 12 in the crash of a refueling plane supporting Operation Epic Fury, including Auburn native Major John “Alex” Klinner.
Klinner, Captain Ariana Savino and Technical Sergeant Ashley Pruitt were all members of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, which is stationed at the Birmingham Air National Guard base. Three members of the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio—Captain Seth Koval, Captain Curtis Angst and Master Sergeant Tyler Simmons—were also killed in the crash.
Britt released a public statement following the resolution’s passage.
“Our nation will be forever grateful to these American heroes for their exemplary service and ultimate sacrifice,” said Britt. “While their lives were tragically cut short in devoted service to our country, we will never forget their selflessness as they bravely fought to protect and defend Americans. We are deeply proud to honor them in this resolution and continue to pray for their families and loved ones during this unthinkable time.”
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, who cosponsored Britt’s resolution alongside five other senators, also put out a statement mourning the lost airmen.
“When you see flag-draped caskets carrying heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, it’s a sobering reminder of the cost of America’s freedom,” said Tuberville. “Each of these service members showed generational courage, and this resolution is just a small part of ensuring their stories are never forgotten. Our prayers continue to be with their brave families and loved ones as they navigate this horrific loss.”
A GoFundMe set up to support Klinner’s wife and three young children has now raised over $1.4 million, while similar fundraisers have been started for the families of the other airmen.
At least 13 American service members have died thus far as a result of “Operation Epic Fury,” the Trump administration’s ongoing war against Iran. At the onset of the conflict, President Donald Trump stated that “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war.”
Meanwhile, the estimated Iranian death toll currently stands at over 1,400, including over 170 people—mostly children—killed in an American missile strike on a girls’ school during the opening hours of the war.
Since its onset, support for Operation Epic Fury has been sharply divided across partisan lines.
Britt and Tuberville have both been vocal supporters of the effort, claiming that the war is necessary and that President Trump can attack Iran without congressional authorization. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers, like U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, have criticized the operation, arguing that the president does not have the authority to unilaterally declare war and that the administration has failed to provide evidence that Iran posed a credible threat to the U.S. or its allies.
Trump is now reportedly weighing deploying ground troops to the region as global economic tensions tied to Iran’s seizure of the Strait of Hormuz continue to escalate—a move that would likely lead to more casualties on both sides of the conflict and one which Americans overwhelmingly oppose.
