The Department of Defense this week announced the identities of four American military personnel killed during operations in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions between United States and Iranian forces. Three deaths were confirmed, with a fourth believed to have been killed in the same incident.
These casualties represent part of a broader toll from military operations that commenced in late February. Since that time, a total of 18 service members have been killed, according to Pentagon figures. Additionally, hundreds of troops have sustained injuries, with nearly 100 wounded since early July. The Pentagon reported that approximately 96 percent of those injured since the beginning of July have returned to active duty.
Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was killed during operations in Iraq. Swinton died over the weekend while participating in the disposal of a downed Iranian drone at Erbil airbase, in an incident the military characterized as a controlled detonation that remains under investigation. First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, was killed in an Iranian attack at Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan. Feehan was enrolled in a master’s degree program and was weeks away from completing his MBA at the time of his death.
Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, was also killed in the attack at the Jordanian airbase. Gonzales had recently graduated from high school in 2025 before enlisting. Sergeant Angel Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, is believed to have been killed in the same incident at Muwaffaq Salti airbase.
President Donald Trump attended a dignified transfer ceremony for the service members at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday. The four individuals killed came from various military backgrounds and units, with several having served in air defense artillery roles stationed in Europe and the Middle East.
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