A woman raising two children was among the six U.S. service members killed last week when a military refueling plane involved in the war with Iran crashed in western Iraq.
Tech Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, hailed from a large family in Bardstown, Kentucky, and was 'very, very' proud of her military career, her husband Gregory Pruitt said Sunday.
Survivors include the couple’s 3-year-old daughter and Sgt. Pruitt’s stepson.
Pruitt joined the military nine years ago and had previously deployed overseas three times. She had nearly 900 combat flight hours and two associate degrees from the Community College of the Air Force.
Most recently, she served with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron from Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama. She was an assistant flight chief of operations and an instructor in operating the boom on the KC-135, which refuels other planes in midair.
A crash in friendly airspace
The aircraft was supporting operations against Iran when an unspecified incident involving another aircraft occurred, according to U.S. Central Command. The other plane landed safely. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Three of the victims were connected to the Sumpter Smith base and the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, while the other three were from an Ohio Air National Guard base in Columbus.
U.S. Air Force officials expressed their grief, calling the loss of service members ‘excruciatingly painful’ for their families and fellow service members.
Among the other victims were pilots and crew with dedicated service records, some leaving behind families who will now have to navigate life without them.
The crash has drawn attention to the risks associated with military operations, especially those involving essential support roles in air refueling.
