Widow of service member killed in Mideast voices frustration over pay issues

WASHINGTON (AP) – The widow of an airman killed on a combat mission in the Middle East remarked it took a viral social media post to secure resolution from the Pentagon on problems related to her husband's benefits and basic pay months after his death.

What happened

Maj. Alex Klinner, 33, was one of six crew members of a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq in March while supporting operations against Iran. Since the war began more than six months ago, he's one of 18 U.S. Service members killed, along with 790 wounded.

Meanwhile, the Air Force reached out to his widow, Libby Klinner, this week to clarify that his final paycheck would include hazard pay and combat-related tax breaks. This occurred after she voiced frustration on social media at being informed by a military officer assigned to backing her after her husband's death that he was ineligible for those benefits since "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, " Klinner informed The Associated Press. "It all comes down to principle."

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around widow of service member killed in Mideast voices frustration over pay issues point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.