VP JD Vance pledges to ensure wife of Trussville airman killed in Iraq ‘gets everything that she’s entitled to’

Vice President JD Vance said he would reach out to the wife of the late U.S Air Force Major John “Alex” Klinner after she said her family wasn’t receiving “additional benefits” from the federal government since the United States hasn’t officially declared war on Iran. 

Klinner was one of the six crew members killed in a KC-135 refueling crash in Iraq as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran. Although the United States has been involved in military conflict with Iran for over six months, Congress hasn’t officially declared war. 

Klinner, 33, was a member of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron from Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham. Klinner, an Auburn University graduate and Trussville resident, left behind his wife, Libby, and their three children. 

1819 News reported on Libby Klinner’s statement that the U.S. Air Force recently told her that her family wasn’t eligible for certain benefits due to the United States not officially declaring war on Iran.

Vance pledged on Thursday to look into the matter.

“We will reach out to her directly as soon as this is over and make sure that she gets what she’s entitled to,” Vance said during a press conference on Thursday. “Obviously, you know, our hearts break for every single person who lost their lives in this operation. As much as our hearts break, I can’t possibly fathom a young widow, what she’s feeling and dealing with it and so we want to be as helpful as we can and ensure she gets everything that she’s entitled to. We will certainly work that on the back end. My message to her would be we love you, we’re grateful for the sacrifice, and we very much take very seriously our commitment to get you what you need to get.”

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