The community is mourning the loss of a native son following the March 12 military aircraft crash in western Iraq that claimed the lives of six crew members, officials confirmed.

Early Pentagon assessments say the KC-135 crash that killed six airmen happened in friendly airspace and shows no sign of hostile fire as investigators begin reviewing the loss.

All six crew members aboard a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq have been confirmed dead, according to a statement from the U.S. military on Friday. The incident occurred while the aircraft was supporting operations against Iran.

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said. Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes.

Denying Iran nuclear weapons remains a "core mission" for the U.S. in its military operation and it has a "range of options," Secretary of Defense Pet