Leaders of the 117th Air Refueling Wing in Birmingham say they are “deeply heartbroken” following the deaths of three airmen assigned to the co-located 99th Air Refueling Squadron who were killed in a U.S. Air Force aircraft crash in western Iraq.
According to military officials, a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed March 12, 2026, during Operation Epic Fury, killing all six airmen aboard. The crew included three active-duty members of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron and three airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refueling Wing.
Search and rescue efforts to recover the service members concluded March 13…