US Air Force Major Alex Klinner Dies in Iraq KC-135 Crash Amid Conflict

Major John 'Alex' Klinner, a 33-year-old US Air Force pilot and recent Major, died on March 12 in a KC-135 refueling aircraft crash over friendly airspace in Iraq amid ongoing Middle East conflict. Klinner, a devoted husband and father of three young children, served eight years and was deployed for Operation Epic Fury. His family and Auburn University mourn his loss, while other airmen, including members of the Ohio Air National Guard, also died in the incident.