March 16, 2026

‘Radiant’ Mother From Kentucky Among 6 US Service Members Who Died in Air Crash in Iraq

A woman raising two children was among the six U.S. service members killed last week when a refueling plane involved in the war with Iran crashed in western Iraq. Tech Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, hailed from a large family in Bardstown, Kentucky, and was “very, very” proud of her military career, her husband Gregory Pruitt said Sunday. “I’ll give you something brief—in a word, radiant,” he said on a phone interview, trying to hold back tears. “If there was a light in the room, she was it.” Survivors include the couple’s 3-year-old daughter and Sgt. Pruitt’s stepson....