Funeral service announced for Kentucky soldier killed in Saudi Arabia

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The funeral for a Kentucky soldier killed in Saudi Arabia has been announced.

According to the Office of Governor Andy Beshear, the funeral service for Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, will be held on Saturday, March 21, at Central Hardin High School in Cecilia. Pennington will be interred at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery in Radcliff.

Sgt. Pennington died March 8 from injuries sustained during a March 1 enemy attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, according to the U.S. Department of War.

Sgt. Pennington was assigned to the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, Fort Carson, Colorado.

According to the U.S. Department of War, Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, died March 12. She sustained injuries during a crash of a KC-135 refueling tanker in western Iraq.

Tech. Sgt. Pruitt was assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

Funeral services and burial information have not been released.

Gov. Beshear has ordered flags at all state office buildings to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on the days of Pennington’s and Pruitt’s interments.

Individuals across the state are encouraged to lower flags to half-staff to join in the remembrance.