Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, a 30-year-old father from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was killed in Iraq on Sunday during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone, the military announced Tuesday. Swinton had served in the Army for nearly a decade and leaves behind a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter.
The military said it was investigating the circumstances of his death at an air base in Irbil in northern Iraq. Swinton was assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He had enlisted in the Army in 2017, serving as an Air Defense Early Warning System Operator.
“He answered the call to duty with courage, honor, and selfless dedication,” said Brig. Gen. John L. Dawber, commanding general of the Army Air and Missile Defense Command. Swinton will receive a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and will be promoted posthumously to staff sergeant.
His mother, Christel Swinton Andujar, spoke to local media about her son’s devotion to his family. “Every decision he made and every sacrifice he endured was with them in his heart,” she said. “He loved his job, he loved his country and he loved the leadership in this country.”
His wife, Mia Gonzalez-Swinton, shared her devastation on Facebook, writing “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.” She said she was notified of his death on Sunday.
The death occurred while Swinton was involved in operations to dispose of a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. Such controlled detonations are performed when damaged explosives or munitions cannot be safely transported, disarmed or stored. One-way attack drones are designed to strike a target without returning to their launch point and can remain dangerous after being brought down because they may still contain warheads, fuel or other hazardous components.
Swinton’s death comes as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran continues. His death is among the latest casualties as the conflict has intensified in recent days. Two other U.S. Army soldiers were killed in Jordan last week while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Those soldiers were identified as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. They were the first U.S. troops killed by direct Iranian fire since the conflict began.
According to military officials, at least 17 U.S. service members have been killed since the U.S. and Israel launched operations against Iran, with more than 400 others wounded. An additional service member remained missing following the attacks in Jordan as of Tuesday.
The 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, which Swinton served with, is a strategic crisis response unit based at Fort Bragg capable of deploying worldwide on short notice to provide air defense force protection from aerial threats and tactical ballistic missiles. Personnel assigned to air defense artillery units are responsible for detecting, tracking and defending against aerial threats, which include drones, missiles and aircraft.
Swinton’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. His family said his greatest love was his wife and children, who were the center of his world.