New York Post
By Samuel Chamberlain
Published July 21, 2026
Updated July 21, 2026, 9:42 a.m. ET
An American soldier killed while destroying a downed Iranian drone in northern Iraq on Sunday has been identified, according to the Pentagon.
Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, NC, died as a result of the mishap during a controlled detonation at Erbil Air Base. A second service member suffered a minor injury.
Lt. Gen. John L. Rafferty, commanding general of the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command, said Swinton was killed “during an operation to safeguard fellow Soldiers.
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