‘He was a hero’: Chattanooga family remembers soldier killed in Iraq
A Chattanooga woman is remembering her son-in-law as a loving husband, father and soldier who died while serving his country in Iraq.
“He was a hero,” Candice McBride said of Staff Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton.
30-year-old Swinton was a Fort Bragg soldier supporting overseas operations in Iraq.
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, shows Army Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton. (U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command via AP)
The Department of War says Swinton was killed July 19 at Erbil Air Base during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian one-way attack drone.
“He loved his job. He loved what he did. He loved this country,” McBride said.
McBride, who lives in Chattanooga, is Swinton’s mother-in-law.
Family and friends gathered to honor Staff Sergeant Michael Swinton, remembered for his warmth and kindness. Mourners wore orange in tribute, with a processional service planned.
She remembers the devastating call from her daughter Jamiah, who also goes by Mia.
“She said, ‘He’s not coming back.’ Those were her words, ‘He’s not coming back,'” McBride recalled.
Mia and Swinton met while they were both stationed in Bahrain.
“He was the love of her life, is the love of her life,” McBride said.
DOVER, DELAWARE – JULY 22: Members of a U.S. Army carry team move the flag-draped transfer case holding the remains of Army Staff Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton of Fayetteville, North Carolina, during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base July 22, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. Staff Sgt. Swinton, who was assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was killed in action during a controlled detonation of a downed One-Way Unmanned Aerial System on July 19, 2026 at Erbil Air Base in Iraq. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Together, the couple had a daughter, Aleia. Swinton also leaves behind a 6-year-old son.
McBride remembers Swinton as a protector who cared deeply about other people.
“Every person that spoke said how he just helped people,” McBride said. “He didn’t care, you know, who you were, what you did, where you came from, he just wanted everybody to feel like they were included.”
DOVER, DELAWARE – JULY 22: Flag-draped transfer cases holding the remains of Army 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, Army Staff Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, Army Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad and Army Pvt. Isabella Gonzales are loaded into vehicles during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base July 22, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. U.S. President Donald Trump attended the dignified transfer for the service members who were killed in action in Iraq and Jordan. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
McBride said Swinton was promoted to staff sergeant and awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal at his final resting.
She also recalled hearing about the lives his actions helped save.
“There was a four-star general in there. And they said, ‘Oh, my gosh. I’m sorry. I just got chills,’ that he saved over 2,000 people with what he did,” McBride said.
For the family left behind, Swinton’s military service is only part of the legacy they will remember.
He was a brother. A son. A husband. And a father of two.
McBride has a message for other families with loved ones serving their country.
“I would tell anybody: love your soldiers, hug them, write them,” she said.
Eighteen U.S. service members have been killed since the war began.
A meal train has been organized to help the Swinton family in Spring Lake, North Carolina.