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Pentagon denies widow combat pay to US airman who died during Iran ops, reverses stance after viral post
According to Libby Klinner, she said she was told by the American Air Force that the US was “not at war” when her husband died.
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A United States airman killed in a combat mission in West Asia was initially denied combat-related pay and benefits after his death, his widow said in a social media post which went viral on Instagram
According to Libby Klinner, she said she was told by the American Air Force that the US was “not at war” when her husband died, thus not qualifying for combat pay. Her husband, 33-year-old Alex Klinner, was part of the six-member crew refueling the KC-135 which crashed in western Iraq in March, while supporting American operations in Iran.
However, following her post, the Pentagon reached out to Libby to clarify that her husband Alex's final paycheck would include hazard pay and combat-related tax breaks, the Associated Press reported.
The Pentagon further acknowledged that the initial information given to her was inaccurate and that her husband's pay included the benefits he was entitled to.
‘My husband lost his life because we’re at war’: How widow's post led to Pentagon's clarification
Libby Klinner had voiced her frustration in a social media post after she was told by a military officer assigned to support her after her husband’s death that he was ineligible for those benefits because “we were 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,” Libby told the Associated Press, saying “it all comes down to principle.”
She made the post over the weekend, and after it gained traction, Air Force officials contacted her this week to say they were initiating a review of her husband's pay. The Air Force told her that her husband's paycheck had already included, but had incorrectly itemised combat-related hazard pay and tax breaks, AP reported.
Air Force officials said officials spoke to Libby this week to “ensure all her questions are fully addressed.” “We remain committed to providing clear information and continued support to Mrs. Klinner, as well as all the families of the Airmen who died in the KC-135 crash,” the Air Force said.
‘We want to ensure she gets everything she is entitled to’: Vance
US Vice President Vance, in response to a query on the matter, said the Donald Trump-led administration would be “helpful” and “ensure she gets everything that she is entitled to.”
“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.’” Vance stated, according to AP.
The Trump administration had, in July, created a new, separate category in the Pentagon's casualty count system for those killed and wounded in renewed US-Iran hostilities. Pentagon officials said the change was necessary because “Operation Epic Fury”, which was launched in February, had ended. Since July 7, all US casualties in the Middle East have been tallied under “Overseas Operations.”
