An Air Force captain who is a new mother from Palmdale was identified by the Pentagon this week as one of three airmen killed when their tanker plane crashed in Central Asia, while supporting American troops in Afghanistan.

Capt. Victoria “Tori” A. Pinckney, 27, of Palmdale, was killed in the May 3 crash of a KC-135 tanker near Chon-Aryk, Krygyzstan, the Defense Department announced.

Colorado Springs television station KKTV reported that Pinckney was the mother of a 7-month-old son, and was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

When the world’s largest cycling event in America, the 2013 Amgen Tour of California, comes to Palmdale on May 14, fans will have a number of great vantage points to watch the race from.

“Of course one of the best places to be for the race is at the starting line at Marie Kerr Park,” said Palmdale Communications Manager John Mlynar. “There you can get up close to these world-class athletes and experience the excitement and build-up to the start of the race, while enjoying a festival-like atmosphere.