<p>One of 18 U.S. soldiers who died since the start of strikes on Iran in late February, Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton was killed during a disposal operation for an Iranian drone at a base in Erbil, northern Iraq. He died from debris caused by the blast, according to a U.S. official, and the incident is under investigation.</p><p>Swinton, 30, had been deployed for a year in the Middle East, including involvement in ongoing tensions with Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf that have escalated since a cease-fire collapsed last month. He was part of the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.</p><p>His wife, Jamiah Swinton, described signs of strain in his final calls home, including sleep loss, diminished appetite, and fear in his voice. She said he had grown weary and asked to see their daughter, who was at preschool at the time, just before his death four days after their last video call.</p><p>Swinton’s remains were returned to the United States, and his wife witnessed his flag-draped casket at Dover Air Force Base, where she also met a high-profile figure who spoke appreciatively of her husband’s service. She described the emotional challenge of explaining death to their 4-year-old daughter and emphasized her intention to focus on her husband rather than politics.</p><p>The couple, who met while deployed to Bahrain in 2020, married in 2021 and had a daughter together. Jamiah Swinton had left the Army in 2023, and she recalled his long deployments as challenging but meaningful, with his final tour lasting longer than any previous separation.</p>
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