Pentagon identifies Army soldier killed in action during Iraq operation

The Army connected Tuesday identified Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, arsenic the U.S. work subordinate killed portion troops attempted to destruct a downed Iranian onslaught drone Sunday astatine an aerial basal successful Iraq.

Swinton, a U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) soldier, was killed successful enactment during a controlled detonation of the one-way unmanned aerial strategy astatine Erbil Air Base, the Department of War announced. The incidental remains nether investigation.

"Every clip Iran kills an American Soldier they volition wage for that sidesplitting galore times over!" Trump wrote Monday connected Truth Social. "This directive has been passed connected to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and each Leader successful the Military."

Swinton's decease brought the fig of U.S. work members killed since the opening of the struggle with Iran to 17. The toll includes deaths from Iranian attacks arsenic good arsenic crashes and different incidents connected to American subject operations successful the region.

US SERVICE MEMBER KILLED IN IRAQ AS TROOPS RECOVER UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS IN JORDAN: CENTCOM

Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, was killed successful enactment during a controlled detonation of a downed One-Way Unmanned Aerial System connected Friday, astatine Erbil Air Base, Iraq. (U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command via AP)

"USASMDC is saddened by the nonaccomplishment of Sgt. Swinton, whose decease occurred during an cognition to safeguard chap soldiers," Lt. Gen. John L. Rafferty, USASMDC commanding general, wrote successful a statement. "His work volition not beryllium forgotten, and his sacrifice is not successful vain. We volition enactment Sgt. Swinton's household and his portion during this hard period. His nonaccomplishment volition animate his chap soldiers to proceed the mission."

U.S. Central Command antecedently said the unexploded ordnance came from a downed Iranian one-way onslaught drone. Another work subordinate was injured during the detonation and received aesculapian treatment.

Swinton was assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, based astatine Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

"Sgt. Swinton was an experienced noncommissioned serviceman who took large pridefulness successful his enactment and the radical astir him," Brig. Gen. John L. Dawber said successful a statement. "He answered the telephone to work with courage, honor, and selfless dedication."

ARMY IDS 2 VICTIMS KILLED IN JORDAN AIR BASE ATTACK; TRUMP: IRAN WILL PAY 'MANY TIMES OVER'

The archetypal victims of restarted hostilities were identified arsenic Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, according to a Monday release.

Swinton, who volition person the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and beryllium posthumously promoted to unit sergeant, had already received the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War connected Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Combat Action Badge.

His decease followed the sidesplitting of 2 U.S. soldiers successful Jordan connected Friday – 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas – arsenic American and allied forces defended against Iranian ballistic rocket and drone attacks.

Central Command said different work subordinate remained missing aft those attacks, with President Donald Trump suspecting that missing subordinate to person died, too.

TWO US SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED IN IRANIAN STRIKES ON JORDAN, CENTCOM SAYS

A US subject basal established successful Herir District, 70km from Erbil, is seen successful Iraq connected October 17, 2015. (Photo by Hamit Huseyin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

"We deed them precise hard again tonight, and we did that successful grant of the astir apt 3 – it's astir apt 3 arsenic opposed to 2 large patriots," Trump told reporters astatine Joint Base Andrews connected Sunday night.

"We consciousness precise badly, but you know, those large people, those large patriots were retired determination warring that Iran could not person a atomic weapon."

The United States launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran connected Feb. 28. U.S. and spouse forces person since targeted Iranian aerial defenses, rocket and drone facilities, maritime capabilities and different subject infrastructure successful a restarting of strikes aft the Iranian violations of the memorandum of knowing (MOU) implicit its combat for power of the Strait of Hormuz.

Smoke rises aft a U.S. one-way onslaught aboveground drone reached its target, a submarine and vessel attraction facility, successful Bandar Abbas, Iran, according to U.S. Central Command, successful this screengrab taken from a video released connected July 13, 2026. (CENTCOM/Reuters)

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More than 50,000 U.S. subject unit are operating crossed the Middle East, according to Central Command.

Fox News' James Levinson contributed to this report.