Major John “Alex” Klinner was more than a U.S. Air Force officer. To his family, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and the person who always put those closest to him first.

Klinner, 33, from Alabama, was one of six U.S. service members killed on March 12, 2026, when a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during operations supporting the U.S. military mission in the region.

He had joined the Air Force through the ROTC program at Auburn University in 2017 and later became a pilot. By the time of his death, he had served in multiple deployments and had recently been promoted to major.

He was also serving as chief of standardization and evaluation for the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, a role that reflected years of training and experience.

But at home, Alex’s most important role was simply being a husband and father.

He and his wife, Libby, were raising three young children, including a two-year-old son and seven-month-old twins. His family described him as patient, kind and selfless, someone whose family remained his first priority.

Before leaving for his deployment, Alex even prepared meals in advance to make things easier for his wife while he was away — a small gesture that his family later remembered as an example of the way he cared for others.

“He was incredibly patient and kind and his family was his first priority in all his actions,” his sister-in-law, Sarah Rose Harrill, said.

Alex had grown up in Auburn, Alabama, where he graduated from Auburn High School before attending Auburn University and earning a degree in mechanical engineering. He had also spent years working with young people as a counselor at Camp Mac in Munford.

His military career included hundreds of hours of combat and combat-support flying. Fellow service members and members of his community remembered him as a leader who was deeply committed to serving others.

On March 12, however, the mission ended in tragedy.

The KC-135 crash claimed the lives of all six airmen aboard, including Alex and five fellow service members. The Pentagon later identified the six fallen airmen as Maj. John “Alex” Klinner, Capt. Ariana G. Savino, Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, Capt. Seth R. Koval, Capt. Curtis J. Angst and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons.

News of Alex’s death was felt particularly strongly in Alabama, where he had deep ties to both Auburn and the Birmingham-area Air Force community.

Hundreds later gathered in Trussville to honor his life. State officials also ordered flags lowered in his memory, recognizing his service and sacrifice.

Yet perhaps the most lasting tribute comes from the people who knew him away from the uniform.

To his fellow airmen, he was Major Klinner.

To his community, he was a leader and a neighbor.

But to three young children growing up without their father, he will always be Dad.

And to Libby, he was the husband who built a family with her, cared for her in the smallest ways and left behind a lifetime of memories that will continue to shape their children.

Major John “Alex” Klinner’s life ended far from home, but the legacy he left behind remains deeply rooted in the family and community he loved.