Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor six heroic Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives in defense of the United States. On March 12, 2026, six American airmen were tragically killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft supporting U.S. military operations in Iran crashed in western Iraq. Today, we remember them by name: Major John ``Alex'' Klinner, Captain Ariana Savino, Captain Seth Koval, Captain Curtis Angst, Technical Sergeant Ashley Pruitt, and Technical Sergeant Tyler Simmons. Three of these brave airmen were members of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, which operates in Birmingham, Alabama, in my district. I will take a moment to talk about the lives and legacies of these three airmen. Major Alex Klinner was 33 years old, a native of Auburn, Alabama. He entered the Air Force through the ROTC program at Auburn University in 2017. Major Klinner deployed in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2026, and he served as chief of the squadron's standardization and evaluation at the 99th Air Refueling Squadron since 2024. He was promoted to major in January. A devoted husband and father, Major Klinner is survived by his wife, Libby, their 2-year-old son, and a 7-year-old set of twins.”