US Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, a 28-year-old airman from Columbus, Ohio, was among six American servicemembers killed after a military refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, according to officials and local media reports.
Simmons served with the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus and was remembered by family members as someone whose personality made a lasting impression on those around him.
He attended Eastmoor Academy High School in Columbus and graduated in 2015, during which time he also played football.
Simmons' mother, Cheryl Simmons, recalled that aviation had long been a passion for her son, and once he began working inside the aircraft as a boom operator, he knew it was the career he wanted to pursue.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said in a Facebook statement that the city mourns the loss of Simmons and honors his service, adding that the city extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Tyler Simmons.
