Alabama Governor Honors Fallen Soldiers

On Tuesday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey ordered that the American flag be flown at half-staff to honor three soldiers from Birmingham who lost their lives in Iraq during the conflict with Iran.

Authorities confirmed that six military personnel died in a tragic accident involving a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft over western Iraq while supporting Operation Epic Fury.

Of those six, three were part of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, associated with the 117th Air Refueling Wing at Sumpter-Smith Joint Air National Guard Base, as noted by Ivey.

“In recognition of the courageous service members who sacrificed their lives for our nation, I direct that all flags be lowered on the day of the burial for Major John A. Kleiner,” she stated in an official memo. The date for Major Kleiner’s burial is still pending.

Major John A. “Alex” Kleiner, 33, resided in Trussville, Alabama, and graduated from Auburn University. He was serving as the squadron’s director for standardization and evaluation.

Kleiner, an eight-year Air Force veteran, had received multiple accolades, including the Air Medal, along with the Air Achievement Medal and the Aerospace Commendation Medal, both with additional oak leaf clusters. He leaves behind his wife, Libby, and their three young children.

A GoFundMe campaign initiated for Kleiner’s family has garnered approximately $1.4 million, supported by about 13,000 donors as of Tuesday.

The Pentagon has confirmed the loss of six U.S. Air Force members in the plane crash, which remains under investigation. The other deceased identified from the 99th Air Refueling Squadron include Captain Ariana G. Savino, 31, a Washington resident with over 300 combat flight hours, and Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, from Kentucky, who has logged more than 900 combat hours and holds two associate degrees from Air Force Community College.

Surviving Ms. Pruitt are her husband, Gregory, an infant daughter, and a son-in-law.