By Mark Maynard
Kentucky Today
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, according to the U.S. Department of War.
Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34. was from Bardstown in Nelson County.
The DoW listed the five other airmen who also died in the crash:
• 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, 38, of Columbus, Ohio.
All six airmen were supporting Operation Epic Fury at the time of the crash. The incident is under investigation. U.S. Central Command said in a post on X early Friday that their KC-135 plane went down at approximately 2 p.m. ET Thursday 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.
Congressman Andy Barr reacted to the death of Tech Sgt. Pruitt on social media.
“Praying for the family and friends of TSgt. Ashley Pruitt of Bardstown. God bless her memory and her ultimate sacrifice in Operation Epic Freedom to rid the world of the largest state sponsor of terror. Her legacy will never be forgotten.”
Sg. Pruitt is the second soldier from Kentucky who has been killed during Operation Epic Fury. Sgt. Benjamin Pennington of Glendale was the other. He died on March 9 after an enemy attack at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.