The U.S. military has identified Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, as the soldier killed during the controlled detonation of an Iranian drone at Erbil Air Base, Iraq, on Sunday, May 26, 2026. A second service member sustained a minor injury during the incident, which remains under investigation.
Swinton, assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, enlisted in 2017. He will posthumously receive the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Action Badge, and be promoted to staff sergeant. Brig. Gen. John L. Dawber, commanding general of the Army Air and Missile Defense Command, praised Swinton as an experienced noncommissioned officer who answered the call to duty with courage, honor, and selfless dedication.
Swinton’s death follows the killing of two other U.S. soldiers—First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas—during Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on a U.S. airbase in Jordan on Friday, May 23, 2026. These were the first U.S. troop deaths from direct Iranian fire since the war began on February 28, 2026.
Swinton’s wife, Mia Gonzalez-Swinton, shared a Facebook post expressing grief, stating, 'I didn’t think this would be the last time I ever saw you. I have no words. I was informed this morning that my husband, Michael, was killed while serving in Iraq.'
The White House postponed the dignified transfer ceremony of the fallen troops at Dover Air Force Base, originally scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 2026, with President Donald Trump in attendance. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the delay but did not provide further details.