WASHINGTON, 08 Sept. - (ANA) - The widow of a US airman killed while taking part in logistical operations during the war on Iran has criticised the US Air Force after she was initially told her husband was not eligible for some combat-related benefits because Washington was not technically “at war”.

 

Major John Alexander “Alex” Klinner, 33, was one of six US service members killed when a KC-135 refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on 12 March while supporting operations against Iran.

 

The dispute comes more than six months into the US war with Iran, which has killed at least 18 US service members and wounded 790, according to the Associated Press.

 

Despite the toll and continuing exchanges of fire, the Trump administration has resisted describing the conflict as a war.

 

US forces struck targets in Iran twice this week, while Tehran retaliated against US allies in the Gulf as well as tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

 

Klinner’s widow, Libby Klinner, said the Air Force contacted her this week to clarify that her husband’s final pay did include combat-related hazard pay and tax benefits.

 

The move came after a social media post in which she said she had previously been told by a military official that her husband was not eligible for some benefits because the United States “was not at war”.

 

“My husband lost his life because we’re in a war, and then I was told that because it’s not technically a war, we lose out on something,” Klinner told the Associated Press. “It all comes down to principle.”

 

Her post gained widespread attention in the United States and prompted Vice President JD Vance to promise to look into the case after being questioned about it at a White House briefing.

 

“We want to be as helpful as we can and ensure she gets everything that she is entitled to,” Vance said.

 

“My message to her would be, ‘We love ya, we’re grateful for the sacrifice and we very much take very seriously our commitment to get you what you need to get.’”

 

But when asked separately about the US military campaign against Iran, Vance rejected the term “war”, saying there was “no active shooting”.

 

His comments came despite the continued exchanges between the two sides, including the US strikes on Iran that week.

 

President Donald Trump defended Vance’s remarks on Friday, describing the US strikes as “intermittent”.

 

“I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

 

 

The dispute over terminology also comes as Washington has altered the way it records casualties from the confrontation with Iran.

 

In late July, the Trump administration created a separate category in the Pentagon’s casualty tracking system for those killed and wounded in renewed US-Iran fighting.

 

Pentagon officials said the change came after “Operation Epic Fury”, the original name for US combat operations against Tehran, had ended.

 

Since 7 July, all US casualties in the Middle East have instead been recorded under the category “Overseas Operations”.

 

Klinner said Air Force officials later acknowledged that she had initially been given inaccurate information.

 

She said officials told her that her husband’s final pay had already included combat-related hazard pay and tax exemptions, but that the payments had been incorrectly itemised, causing confusion.

 

The Air Force said it had spoken to Klinner to ensure all her questions were addressed and confirmed that all eligible combat-theatre benefits had been included in her husband’s pay.

 

Combat-related hazard pay is worth $225 a month and does not require a formal declaration of war. Eligibility is instead based on serving in an area where troops face a serious risk of physical injury or hostile fire.   - (ANA) - 

 

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