US identifies Michael Emmanuel Swinton as soldier killed in disarming Iranian drone in Iraq | Today’s news
The US military on Tuesday (July 21) identified the US soldier killed trying to disarm an Iranian drone in Iraq as Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Swinton died Sunday in a controlled detonation at an air base in northern Iraq’s Irbil. The US military said the incident remains under investigation.
Soldier receives posthumous honors
In a statement, the Army said Swinton would be posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge and promoted to the rank of staff sergeant.
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Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton was a 30-year-old US soldier from Fayetteville, North Carolina who was killed while trying to disarm an Iranian drone in Iraq during a controlled detonation.
Sgt. Swinton would be posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge and promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant.
U.S. troops face increasing risks due to escalating hostilities with Iran, as emphasized by Sgt. Swinton’s death and the recent casualties of Iranian attacks on US forces in the region.
Since the escalation of the conflict with Iran, 17 US military personnel have been reported dead.
The Strait of Hormuz is crucial because it is a major global oil shipping route through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas reserves pass, making it a focal point for military operations and tensions between the US and Iran.
Swinton enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2017 and was assigned to the 55th Air Defense Field Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Field Artillery Brigade, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
I salute Brig. Gen. John L. Dawber, commanding general of the Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said, “Sgt. Swinton was an experienced NCO who took great pride in his work and the people around him.”
He added: “He answered the call to service with courage, honor and selfless dedication.”
Rising American casualties
Swinton’s death comes as the conflict between the United States and Iran continues to escalate in the Middle East.
Formerly, two US Army soldiers killed in Jordan defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on Friday. These were the first American military casualties caused by direct Iranian fire since the early days of the war.
The latest deaths underscore the growing risks facing US forces deployed across the region as hostilities continue to escalate.
US identifies two soldiers killed in Jordan
The Pentagon said 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, was killed in the attacks in Jordan last week.
The death toll among US service members in the war with Iran has risen to 17.
Feehan served with the Army’s 32nd Air and Missile Defense Command, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Southern Utah University said Feehan was weeks away from receiving his MBA and will receive the degree posthumously.
And Gonzales served with the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany after graduating from Hebron High School in Texas last year. Her school district described her decision to join the military as a reflection of her character and service.
The military said Gonzales died Friday and Feehan succumbed to his injuries the following day. A third US service member remains missing after the attack, although US Central Command said unidentified human remains had been found and were being examined.
The US-Iranian conflict is escalating
The latest casualties came as fighting between the United States and Iran intensified for a tenth straight night.
US forces carried out new strikes on Iran’s military command centers, missile and drone launch sites, naval assets and air defense systems. Iranian state media reported explosions in several southern and western provinces.
Iran responded by targeting US-linked assets across the region and attacking commercial shipping. A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was hit, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for attacks on several ships.
The Pentagon said nearly 100 US troops had been injured since Washington resumed its strikes on July 7, with about 96% returning to duty after treatment, mostly for mild concussions.
The tension in transportation is expanding
The conflict has also spread to critical global shipping lanes.
As traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has plummeted, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have announced a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia and threatened shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising concerns about global oil supplies and trade.
Saudi Arabia said it would keep the waterway open and warned that any attacks on commercial vessels would be dealt with forcefully.
According to Iranian authorities, at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 injured in recent US airstrikes. Since the start of the war on February 28, 17 members of the U.S. military have been killed, according to the U.S. military.
Read also | US Army Identifies Two Soldiers Killed in Iranian Missile Attack in Jordan
