WASHINGTON — The U.S. military released the identity Tuesday of a soldier who died while working to disarm an Iranian drone in Iraq. He was Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, a 30-year-old from Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Military officials said they are investigating Swinton’s death, which occurred Sunday during a controlled detonation at an air base in Irbil, located in northern Iraq.
In recognition of his service and sacrifice, Swinton will posthumously receive the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Action Badge. He will also be promoted to the rank of staff sergeant, according to a military statement.
Swinton’s wife, Mia Gonzalez-Swinton, shared the heartbreaking news on social media, saying she learned of her husband’s death on Sunday. The couple leaves behind a young daughter.
In an emotional Facebook post on Monday, she wrote: “I will never recover from this, you should be home. We had so many plans for when you got back, I’m sick to my stomach.”
Swinton joined the Army in 2017 and was assigned to the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Brig. Gen. John L. Dawber, commanding general of the Army Air and Missile Defense Command, honored Swinton’s memory in a statement: “Sgt. Swinton was an experienced noncommissioned officer who took great pride in his work and the people around him. He answered the call to duty with courage, honor, and selfless dedication.”
Swinton’s death comes just days after two other U.S. Army soldiers were killed in Jordan while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on Friday. Those soldiers were the first American troops killed by direct Iranian fire since the early days of the war.
