President Donald Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday evening to participate in the dignified transfer of six U.S. Air Force airmen killed in a refueling plane crash in western Iraq. The solemn ceremony, closed to media at the request of the families, involved a carry team moving the flag-draped transfer cases from a transport aircraft to a waiting vehicle for delivery to the base mortuary.

Trump was joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, and several lawmakers including Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt of Alabama, Bernie Moreno and John Husted of Ohio, Todd Young and Jim Banks of Indiana, and Tim Sheehy of Montana. The White House later posted on social media that "President Donald J. Trump attended the dignified transfer of six American heroes who died in a refueling plane crash. Their courage will never be forgotten. May God bless them and their families."

The airmen died on March 12 when their KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in friendly airspace during an air refueling mission supporting Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began on February 28. U.S. Central Command confirmed the incident was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, though the exact circumstances remain under investigation. A second aircraft involved landed safely in Israel. The crash raised the U.S. death toll in the operation to at least 13, with more than 200 service members injured.

The fallen were Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; 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.

Klinner, chief of standardization and evaluation for the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, oversaw training for more than 30 aircrew members. An Auburn University graduate, he left behind his wife and three young children. Savino, also with the 99th ARS, served as chief of current operations and had recently earned her KC-135 pilot wings. Pruitt instructed boom operators on midair refueling techniques.

Koval and Angst were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, handling global refueling and airlift missions. Koval had 19 years of service, while Angst was an aerospace engineering graduate who qualified as a KC-135 pilot in 2024. Simmons, a boom operator with the same Ohio unit, was remembered for his infectious smile.

This marked the second dignified transfer Trump has attended at Dover since Operation Epic Fury began. He participated in one on March 7 for six soldiers killed in a drone strike in Kuwait.