Updated March 20, 2026, 1:42 p.m. ET
A KC-135 refueling tanker crashed during a March 12 mission in western Iraq, a flight U.S. airman Tyler Simmons volunteered to join.
Simmons, 28, served as the aircraft’s boom operator, according to his family.
According to his father, Charles Simmons, Tyler was not originally assigned to the mission but volunteered and often discussed the risks of KC-135 operations.
Authorities have not released additional details on casualties or the cause of the crash as of March 20.