Serviceman killed in Iraq plane crash was Purdue graduate, Indiana native
LAFAYETTE, IN — An Indiana native and Purdue University graduate was among those killed when a military plane crashed in Iraq last week.
Pilot Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, graduated from Purdue in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in War Department aviation operations. he said in a statement.
He had a wife and son.
Koval and five others died when their refueling plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday. US Central Command said. They were supporting another aircraft as part of the US war against Iran.
Koval’s wife, Nichole, said in a written statement, “Seth was a man whose life I will never be able to put into a single expression and whose loss will echo in my heart forever.” “Seth was outstanding in everything he did. He was truly a great husband, father, son, brother, friend and Airman.”
Koval joined the Air Force in 2006 as part of the Indiana National Guard, Koval said. DoW biography. After graduating from Purdue, he transferred to the Ohio Air National Guard in 2017.
He served in Iraq in 2014, 2020, 2022, 2023 and this year, flying more than 440 combat hours and a total of 2,076 hours, the DoW said.
“He loved what he did and was proud to put on his uniform and serve others,” Nichole said. “He grew up dreaming of being a pilot, and it was an honor to stand next to him as he realized his dreams.”
The crash, in which Koval and five other soldiers died, brought the death toll of Americans in the war against Iran to at least 13. Associated Press reported.
US Central Command said the cause of the crash was not yet known but was “not due to enemy or friendly fire.” The other plane involved in the incident reportedly landed safely in Israel.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita called Koval a “true hero” in a Facebook post Sunday morning and said the state “will never forget your sacrifice.”
“Thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, his young son, and his entire family as they grieve this unimaginable loss,” Rokita wrote.
Koval’s family asks for donations GoFundMe It was created on Saturday evening.
This article first appeared in the Lafayette Journal & Courier: Soldier killed in plane crash in Iraq was Purdue graduate, Indiana native
