US Air Force widow initially denied benefits because Iran conflict ‘not technically a war’

Libby Klinner, the widow of 33-year-old Air Force Maj. Alex Klinner, will receive at least some of the payment she is entitled to. She was initially told that combat-related benefits were unavailable to her family because the conflict with Iran "is not technically a war," prompting a frustrated social media post that went viral.

Maj. Klinner is one of 18 US servicemen who have lost their lives since the war against Iran started in February. He was on board the KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq in March. In addition to Klinner of Alabama, Ariana Savino, Ashley Pruitt, Seth Koval, Curtis Angst, and Tyler Simmons also lost their lives in the crash.

Klinner stated that her husband lost his life because they are in a war, but she was told that because it is not technically a war, they lose out on something. After Klinner said she was ineligible for some benefits, the Air Force told her that her husband’s final paycheck would include hazard pay and combat-related tax breaks.

The incident grabbed the attention of US Vice President JD Vance, who promised to look into her case when asked about it during a White House briefing. Despite thanking Klinner for her sacrifice, Vance went on to reject using the word "war" as a characterization of the current conflict, arguing there was "no active shooting." The Air Force acknowledged that Klinner had been provided with inaccurate information and stated that her husband’s paycheck had already included, but had incorrectly itemized, the hazard pay and tax breaks.

In addition to his wife, Maj. Klinner left behind three children. A GoFundMe for the bereaved family, launched in the days after Maj. Klinner’s death, has raised more than $1.5 million.