The United States is engaged in a conflict that the White House has been reluctant to officially describe as a war. For the family of an American service member who died during the fighting with Iran, however, the distinction has become far more significant than semantics.
Major Alex Klinner, 33, was killed on March 12 when a KC-135 refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq while supporting US strikes against Iran. Months later, his widow, Libby Klinner, said she was initially informed that because Congress had not formally declared war, it could affect the benefits available to her family.
WHY DOES THE WORD 'WAR' MATTER?
Klinner highlighted the issue in an Instagram post that quickly attracted widespread attention. She said she was upset that her husband had died while supporting US military operations, yet she was initially told that the lack of a formal declaration of war could affect what his family was eligible to receive.
"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 told the Associated Press. "It all comes down to principle."
The Air Force later reached out to Klinner and reviewed her husband's final pay. Officials acknowledged that she had originally been provided with incorrect information.
The service subsequently clarified that Klinner's final pay had included combat-related hazard pay and associated tax benefits. The payment commonly referred to as "combat pay" amounts to $225 per month and does not depend on Congress formally declaring a war. Instead, eligibility is determined by whether a service member is deployed to an area where there is a serious risk of physical injury or exposure to hostile fire.
According to officials, the issue arose because the payment had been provided but was incorrectly listed on her husband's final pay statement.
The dispute has highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the terminology being used by the US government to describe its military operations against Iran. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to the fighting as a war, while Vice President JD Vance has declined to endorse that description.
During a White House briefing on Thursday, Vance was asked about Klinner's case and said the administration wanted to ensure she received everything to which she was entitled.
"We want to be as helpful as we can and ensure she gets everything that she is entitled to."
"My message to her would be, 'We love you, we're grateful for the sacrifice and we very much take very seriously our commitment to get you what you need to get.'"
Vance separately said there was "no active shooting" and argued that describing the current US military operations as a war was inappropriate.
Trump supported that position the following day, characterising the strikes as "intermittent".
"A lot of people don’t call it a war. I call it a military conflict, because it's small potatoes for us," he said.
HOW ARE MILITARY CASUALTIES BEING CLASSIFIED?
The administration's choice of terminology has also influenced how military casualties are categorised.
In late July, the Pentagon introduced a separate classification for US service members killed or injured during the renewed conflict with Iran. Officials said the change was required because the earlier combat mission, "Operation Epic Fury", had concluded.
Since July 7, US casualties in the Middle East have been listed under the broader classification of "Overseas Operations".
Reports have also quoted families of US service members accusing the Pentagon of minimising the seriousness of certain injuries and claiming that some wounded troops were not consistently classified as combat casualties. The Army has rejected those allegations.
Military authorities have generally been cautious about releasing injury numbers, particularly in cases where service members recover quickly and return to duty.
WHAT DOES KLINNER WANT CHANGED?
Klinner said her experience demonstrated how challenging it can be for grieving military families to understand official classifications, terminology and benefit rules while dealing with loss.
"What this experience made clear to me is how difficult it can be for a grieving family to navigate classifications, terminology and government processes at the very moment we are least equipped to do so," Klinner said in a statement.
"No Gold Star family should have to become an expert in government language to understand what they are entitled to. Alex understood the risks that came with his service, and he trusted that if the worst happened, his family would be taken care of."
She said her priority was ensuring that other military families receive straightforward and accurate information from the outset.
"I want the conversation to focus on making sure every family facing an unimaginable loss has that same clarity from the start," Klinner said. "Getting this right for the families left behind isn't a footnote – it’s part of how we honour the service and sacrifice of those we lost."
Trump has also met relatives of some US service members killed in the conflict, including the parents of 25-year-old Lt Tyler James Feehan.
