Pentagon identifies U.S. soldier killed in Iraq during ‘controlled detonation’ of Iranian drone
A soldier killed in Iraq during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone has been identified as Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Defense Department officials said Sgt. Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was killed Sunday while “supporting overseas contingency operations” at Erbil Air Base in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
“The incident is under investigation,” Pentagon officials said.
Sgt. Swinton was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when he deployed to Iraq.
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The base and a nearby U.S. consulate have been the target of multiple drone attacks by Iran and its militia factions. The base serves as the central operational hub for U.S. personnel in northern Iraq.
On Monday, the Pentagon identified two U.S. soldiers killed in a separate Iranian attack last week on a base in Jordan.
The Defense Department said 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, were killed July 17 when an Iranian ballistic missile struck the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. Another service member was reported missing after the attack.
On Sunday, U.S. Central Command officials said “unidentified remains” were found at the site. Officials ordered a forensic examination to confirm the identity.
