U.S. Soldier Killed in Controlled Detonation of Iranian Drone in Iraq
Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton died during a controlled explosion of a downed Iranian attack drone at Erbil Air Base, while a second service member was wounded. The incident is under investigation.
A 30-year-old U.S. soldier died in Iraq while a team carried out a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian one-way attack drone at Erbil Air Base, the Pentagon said. Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was killed during the operation, and a second service member sustained a minor injury.
U.S. Central Command reported the drone was Iranian, though the Pentagon’s statement did not specify the origin. The incident occurred on Saturday, according to CENTCOM, while the Pentagon listed the date as Sunday. An investigation is ongoing.
In remarks to reporters, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said troops were decommissioning ammunition when an accident occurred, without providing further details.
Swinton, a member of D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, had served since 2017 as an air-defense early warning operator. He was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant and will receive the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge.
The Pentagon also identified two other soldiers killed in recent Iranian attacks on a Jordanian air base and noted that nearly 100 U.S. service members have been injured in multiple Iranian strikes across the region since early July, most of which were minor concussions.