Who was Ashley Pruitt? Air Force Tech Sgt and mother of two dies in KC-135 crash; GoFundMe campaign surges

A tragic military aircraft crash in Western Iraq has claimed the lives of six US servicemembers, leaving their families and communities in a state of mourning. Well, one of them among those killed was Ashley Pruitt, a tech sergeant assigned to the 6th Air Refuelling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The Pentagon also confirmed her death after the KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft carrying her and five others crashed during a mission. As tributes pour in, a GoFundMe campaign has also been launched in her honour that has already raised over $41,280. Amid the surrounding grief, let's find out: who was Ashley Pruitt? Ashley Pruitt, 34, dedicated nearly a decade to the Air Force after joining in 2017. Rising to the rank of technical sergeant in May of last year, she also served as an assistant flight chief and instructor boom operator, training others in midair refuelling operations.

Over her career, Pruitt completed four deployments to the Middle East and was widely respected as a leader and mentor among her fellow servicemembers.

The sudden passing of Ashley Pruitt has sparked an outpouring of tributes from friends, family and colleagues. Her friend Pamela Elsaesser quickly set up GoFundMe, which has already raised $34,208, nearly 70 per cent of its $50,000 goal within just a day.

In the wake of tragedy, Col. Ed Szczepanik, commander of the 6th Air Refuelling Wing, honoured Ashley alongside Major John “Alex” Klinner and Captain Ariana G. Savino, paying tribute to their service and dedication at MacDill Air Force Base.

"Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of Alex, Ariana and Ashley. To lose a member of the Air Force family is excruciatingly painful. Especially to those who know them as son, daughter, brother, sister, spouse, mom, or dad. To lose them at the same time is unimaginable," he added.

"Our hearts and minds are with the family, friends and loved ones of our fallen Airmen. Our communities feel this loss deeply and Team MacDill will ensure their sacrifices and service to our nation are never forgotten. We will honor them each and every day as we continue to answer our nation’s call."