On Wednesday, March 18, President Trump visited the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend a “Dignified Transfer” ceremony, welcoming back the remains of 6 U.S. Air Force officers who died in a plane crash in western Iraq last week.
This marked the second time Trump attended such a military ceremony since the conflict with Iran started on February 28. He described this task as the “most difficult thing” faced as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
The accident occurred last Thursday, March 12, during the U.S. military operations targeting Iran. The U.S. Central Command stated that the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft crashed while on a mission in “friendly airspace” in western Iraq.
The incident involved two aircraft, with the other one landing safely. The military emphasized that the accident was not caused by enemy fire or friendly fire, and the specific reasons are still under investigation. The Pentagon identified the 6 deceased crew members, who hailed from five states:
– Maj. John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33 years old, from Alabama.
– Capt. Ariana Linse Savino, 31 years old, from Washington.
– Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34 years old, from Kentucky.
– Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38 years old, from Indiana.
– Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30 years old, from Ohio.
– Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28 years old, from Ohio.
According to reports from the Associated Press, on Wednesday afternoon, Trump flew to the base aboard Air Force One accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Upon arriving in Delaware, several members of Congress joined the delegation, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, Alabama Senator Katie Britt, and Tommy Tuberville. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and his wife also attended to pay their respects to the three fallen soldiers from Ohio.
This incident raised the death toll in Operation Epic Fury to at least 13, with around 200 others injured. Following requests from the families, the ceremony on Wednesday was not open to the media. Trump spent nearly two hours at the base in silence, saluting the flag-draped coffins before returning to Washington without making a public statement.
Trump’s previous visit to the Dover Air Force Base was on March 7, for a solemn transfer ceremony honoring 6 U.S. military personnel who died in a drone attack at the Kuwait Command Center. Following the ceremony, Trump admitted to reporters, “This is the cruel side of war. I hate doing this, but it is part of war.”