A grieving widow was told her husband's death didn't count as a "war" death.4 min readSep 8, 2026 06:41 AM IST First published on: Sep 8, 2026 at 06:37 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookLibby Klinner, widow of Major Alex Klinner, wrote on social media that she has not received appropriate pay following his death in an aircraft crash. (Photo: X/@AlternativoDig)Libby Klinner had already buried her husband. Then came the second blow: a military officer, sent to help her through the paperwork of loss, told her the fighting that killed him wasn’t technically a war so some of his benefits didn’t apply.“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,” she told the Associated Press (AP). “It all comes down to principle.”Major Alex Klinner, 33, was one of six crew members aboard a KC-135 refuelling plane that crashed in western Iraq in March, while supporting American operations against Iran. He is one of 18 US service members killed, and 790 wounded, in more than six months of fighting.In this photo provided by the U.S. Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force Capt. Alex Klinner, operations flight commander for the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, completes another lap during the Shell 77 Memorial Run at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Birmingham, Ala., May 2, 2025. (Paul Mann/U.S. Air National Guard via AP)Despite the scale of casualties, the Trump administration has avoided calling it a war. Vice President JD Vance said this week there was “no active shooting”, even though the US had struck targets inside Iran twice that same week, and Iran had fired back at American allies in the Gulf. President Donald Trump described the strikes as “intermittent” and called the fighting “small potatoes,” while backing Vance’s choice of words.The Pentagon has also changed how it counts the dead. In late July, officials retired the name “Operation Epic Fury” and began filing all Middle East casualties under a new label, “Overseas Operations.”Story continues below this adWhy Klinner’s case went viralKlinner didn’t get answers through official channels until she went public. Her frustration, posted online over the weekend, spread quickly enough that Vance was asked about it at a White House briefing. He promised to help.“We want to be as helpful as we can and ensure she gets everything that she is entitled to,” Vance said. “We love ya, we’re grateful for the sacrifice.”Only after that did the Air Force step in, telling Klinner it had given her wrong information earlier and that her husband’s final paycheck did, in fact, include his combat pay and tax breaks it had simply been listed incorrectly.What the money actually isThe benefit in question, often called “combat pay”, is worth $225 a month. It doesn’t require a formal declaration of war — only that a service member faced “grave danger of physical injury” or was hurt in a hostile-fire incident. Klinner’s husband, paid twice monthly, would have been due half that in his final cheque, plus tax relief that’s harder to put a figure on.Story continues below this adThis photo provided by Mary Remmes shows Maj. Alex Klinner, Jan. 10, 2026. (Mary Remmes via AP)She has not said how much money she was originally told her husband, an eight-year Air Force veteran from Birmingham, Alabama, wouldn’t get.A system prone to mistakesThe Air Force says it is “committed to providing clear information and continued support” to Klinner and to the families of the other airmen killed in the crash. Pay errors, officials note, are common in the military, since a service member’s entitlements can shift with deployment status, location, or family circumstances far more often than for civilian workers.A GoFundMe page set up for Klinner and her three young children has raised more than $1.5 million.Klinner said she went public partly so other grieving military families don’t have to fight the same battle alone.Story continues below this ad“I am very fortunate to have a significant support system around us and a platform to advocate for myself and for my kids,” she said. “If I can do anything to make this awful situation a little bit easier for someone else to navigate, then I am more than willing to do so.”AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogWorld News Today Live Updates: Qatar urges phased end to Iran crisis as Tehran threatens US energy assets23 seconds agoDelhi building collapse Live Updates: ‘Not only building owners, MCD and DU also responsible’, says Delhi High Court10 hours agoIndia news Live Updates, 7 September 2026: Around 380 middlemen arrested in Assam says CM Sarma11 hours agoBigg Boss 20 Contestants, Premiere Episode LIVE Updates: Jay Bhanushali sends love to Mahhi Vij, says ‘the don is in the house’14 hours agoDelhi Building Collapse Live News: Police book owner, 5 dead; rescue operation underway1 day agoAdvertisement