Fort Bragg soldier Michael Swinton of Fayetteville killed disposing of downed Iranian drone in Iraq

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Fort Bragg soldier and Fayetteville native has been identified as a service member who was killed over the weekend.

Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, was killed in action during a controlled detonation of a downed One-Way Unmanned Aerial System on Sunday, July 19, at Erbil Air Base, Iraq, according to the Department of War. The incident remains under investigation.

Sgt. Swinton was assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Bragg.

Monday, the department announced the identity of Fort Bragg soldier 1st Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan. Feehan was from Hawaii. The other soldier was identified as Private Isabella Gonzales of Texas.

The Pentagon said he was one of two soldiers killed while defending against Iranian missile and drone attacks. These are the first U.S. troop deaths caused by direct Iranian fire since the war began.

Since the start of the war, seventeen U.S. service members have been killed.

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