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.

The six U.S. service members who died in the crash of a U.S. military refueling aircraft included an Alabama father who had just been promoted and deployed.