'A light in the room': US Sgt Ashley B Pruitt remembered by husband after refueling plane crash

KENTUCKY: Tech Sgt Ashley B Pruitt, a 34-year-old Air Force member and mother of two, was among six US service members killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on March 12 during operations linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Pruitt, a Bardstown native, was remembered by her husband as a devoted family woman and a dedicated service member with nearly a decade in the military. The crash, which occurred in what officials described as “friendly” airspace, remains under investigation.

Husband describes Pruitt as 'radiant'

Ashley B Pruitt was identified by the Department of Defense as one of the six personnel who died in the crash of a KC-135 aerial refueling tanker in western Iraq.

She had served for nine years in the US Air Force and was most recently assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Pruitt also worked with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron based in Birmingham, Alabama, where she served as an assistant flight chief of operations.

Pruitt had logged nearly 900 combat flight hours and completed three overseas deployments. She also held two associate degrees from the Community College of the Air Force.

Gregory Pruitt, her husband, described her as a source of light and strength for their family. “I’ll give you something brief: in a word, radiant,” he said in a phone interview. “If there was a light in the room, she was it.”

She is survived by the couple’s three-year-old daughter and her stepson.

A GoFundMe campaign launched after her death has raised more than $145,000, meeting its initial goal to support her family.

Crash under investigation

US Central Command said the aircraft was operating in “friendly” airspace when an unspecified incident involving another aircraft occurred. The second aircraft landed safely, while the KC-135 crashed.

Officials confirmed that three of the victims were connected to units at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Alabama and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, while the remaining three were assigned to an Ohio Air National Guard base in Columbus.

The cause of the crash has not yet been determined and remains under investigation.

Pruitt is the second service member from Kentucky to die in recent operations tied to the conflict.

Sgt Benjamin Pennington, 26, of Glendale, died on March 8 after sustaining injuries during an attack at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

In a joint statement, Kentucky Representative Candy Massaroni and Senator Jimmy Higdon said Pruitt made the “ultimate sacrifice while serving our country overseas.”

“The sacrifice made by Ashley and her fellow service members is a powerful reminder that the freedoms we enjoy at home are safeguarded by brave Americans willing to place themselves in harm’s way. Her service reflects a deep commitment to something greater than herself,” the statement said.