“HE HAD A MILLION-DOLLAR SMILE” OHIO AIRMAN KILLED IN IRAQ REFUELING CRASH — HIS MOTHER TELL ABOUT THE LAST HOMECOMING OF TYLER SIMMONS IS BREAKING HEARTS The family of Tyler Simmons is remembering the young airman not just for his service, but for the unforgettable presence he brought into every room he entered. Simmons was among six U.S. service members killed in a devastating military aircraft refueling crash in Iraq, a tragedy that has left loved ones and fellow service members mourning the loss of lives dedicated to their country. For those who knew him best, however, the memories that stand out most come from a moment long before the tragedy — the last time he returned home to Ohio, where his family welcomed him back with pride and relief after his deployment. Relatives say that homecoming is the image they now hold onto the most. They remember the moment he walked through the door, smiling the same way he always did — a smile they say could light up the entire room. “He had a million-dollar smile,” one family member said while recalling the moment that now feels even more precious. But those closest to him say there was also one brief moment during that visit — something Simmons did or said just before leaving again for duty — that has stayed with them ever since. At the time, it felt like an ordinary goodbye. Now, they say it’s the moment they wish they could relive just one more time.
Ohio airman Tyler Simmons among 6 service members killed in military aircraft refueling crash in Iraq
An Ohio Air National Guardsman with a “million-dollar smile” has been identified as the first of six service members who were killed when an Air Force refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq.
Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, of Columbus, was on board the doomed US Air Force K-135 Stratotanker before it collided with another K-135 over the “friendly airspace” as part of Operation Epic Fury, his family announced Friday.
Simmons, 28, had spoken to his mom one day before his tragic death, where he had updated her on his deployment to the Middle East.
“He called me on Wednesday, and we were able to talk to him,” Cheryl Simmons told WSYX. “I was over here, and we actually had a beautiful conversation. I was like Tyler, how are you? He said I’m good. I’m good, but mother knows. He was having some challenges, you know, he told me they had been shot at, but he was okay.”
Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons was identified as one of the six servicemembers killed in a crash in Iraq on March 12, 2026.WBNS/YouTube
Simmons was assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Ohio’s Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base before being deployed to the Middle East as part of the military operations around Iran.
