Capt. Seth Koval will be remembered as an amazing husband, father, son, brother, friend and airman, his wife Heather Koval said.
Her late husband, an aircraft commander with 19 years of service, loved what he did and he was proud to put his uniform on and serve others.
Seth Koval, 38, of Stoutsville in Fairfield County, was among three members of the Ohio National Guard who died in a March 12 crash over Iraq. A total of six American servicemembers died when their KC-135 refueling tanker aircraft was lost in the war on Iran.
All three Ohio airmen who died belonged to the 121st Air Refueling Wing in Columbus. Capt. Curtis Angst, 30, and Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, both of Columbus, also died in the crash.
Heather Koval posted to Facebook on March 14 that her family’s world was shattered upon hearing of her husband’s death in the line of duty.
“There is nothing that can prepare you to receive news that you’ve lost the love of your life,” she said. “Our family will never be the same.”
Their family is grateful, she wrote, for the love and support they’re receiving. She asked that the public respect their desire for privacy at this time.
Seth Koval, Angst and Simmons were part of the 166th Air Refueling Squadron attached to the 121st Air Refueling Wing, according to the U.S. Air Force. Koval was a KC-135R Stratotanker instructor pilot.
Koval first enlisted in 2006 as a machinist with the Indiana National Guard’s 122nd Fighter Wing, according to an Air Force biography. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aviation operations from Purdue University in 2011 and transferred in 2017 to the Ohio Air National Guard. He completed pilot training January 2020 and became an instructor pilot in 2024.
Koval flew 443 combat hours and 2,076 total hours. He deployed in 2014, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2026.
“He grew up dreaming about becoming a pilot and to stand beside him as he made his dreams come true was an honor,” Heather Koval said in her prepared statement.
She said her husband was exceptional in everything he did. She described her husband as loving, generous, kind-hearted, smart, devoted, a fixer of all things, a real outdoorsman and selfless.
“The most important thing about my husband was that Jesus was his Lord and Savior,” she said. “He always put others before himself – until the very end. I will see him in the smile of our son and carry him with me in every moment. I have overwhelming hope and peace because he is with His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
An online fundraiser to support Koval’s family has been launched, with more than $164,000 being raised as of March 17.
The Dispatch previously interviewed the family of Simmons, an Eastmoor Academy graduate. Simmons’ family described him as a leader and a man who brightened up the room.
The Dispatch has also reached out to Angst’s family.
(Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that a crash was reported by the U.S. military rather than a mid-air collision).
Government and politics reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Wife of Seth Koval, who died in Iraq, says husband was proud to serve
Reporting by Jordan Laird, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
