Trump attended a ceremony honoring six U.S. service members killed in a KC-135 crash over Iraq during combat ops.

President Donald Trump attended a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base on March 18, 2026, honoring six U.S. service members killed in a KC-135 refueling aircraft crash over western Iraq during a combat mission. The crash, which occurred in friendly airspace and was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, marked the second such ceremony Trump has attended since the U.S. launched military operations against Iran on February 28. The victims, from Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Washington, were crew members of the 6th and 121st Air Refueling Wings. The incident raised the U.S. death toll in Operation Epic Fury to at least 13, with about 200 service members injured. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.