Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was killed in action during the detonation of unexploded ordnance at Erbil Air Base, Iraq, a release states.

Lt. Gen. John L. Rafferty, commanding general of Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said in a statement that Swinton died “during an operation to safeguard fellow soldiers.”

The circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation. A second service member was wounded in the detonation and received treatment for a minor injury, U.S. Central Command said.

Swinton enlisted in the Army in 2017 as an Air Defense Early Warning System Operator. He was stationed in Fayetteville and assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

Following his death, Swinton will receive the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, the Pentagon said. He will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant.

“His service will not be forgotten, and his sacrifice is not in vain. We will support Sgt. Swinton’s family and his unit during this difficult period,” Rafferty said. “His loss will inspire his fellow soldiers to continue the mission.”

Swinton’s prior awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Action Badge.

Brig. Gen. John L. Dawber, commanding general of the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said Swinton “took great pride in his work and the people around him.”

“He answered the call to duty with courage, honor, and selfless dedication,” Dawber said.

Separately, the Pentagon released the identities Monday of two other U.S. soldiers killed in action in recent days in an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan.

U.S. Army Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, and 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, died July 17 and July 18, respectively, according to a Department of Defense release.

The deaths bring the toll of American troops killed in the war with Iran to 17.

Vietnam Veterans of America, a national veterans service organization is pushing back against the use of an “Honor and Remember” flag because of a resemblance to the Bolshevik Communist flag and the flag flown by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the group claimed.

The organization argued July 2 that the flag “cannot serve as a positive symbol” for veterans who fought against communism. The flag shows a gold star on a red background — imagery reminiscent of multiple communist movements, VVA argued in a public statement.

“For Vietnam veterans especially, the striking resemblance to the flag flown by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and seen in all the images of North Vietnamese tanks invading Saigon on April 30, 1975, is impossible to ignore,” the group wrote.

A proposal in the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, an annual, must-pass defense policy and budget bill, aims to exempt the Honor and Remember flag from a law that prohibits the display of any unapproved flags at military installations.

If passed, the flag would be included in a list of approved flags that also includes state flags, military service flags and the National League of Families POW/MIA flag, among others.

The Honor and Remember flag was created by George Lutz after the death of his son, Army Cpl. George “Tony” Lutz, who was killed by an enemy sniper in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2005. Since its creation, 29 states have adopted the Honor and Remember flag as an official symbol.

Separate from the NDAA, an effort is underway to designate the Honor and Remember flag as a national symbol of remembrance for service members and veterans who died as a result of their military service.

The proposal — originally introduced by Reps. Don Davis, D-N.C., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., along with 16 other cosponsors — was endorsed by the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in February and referred that month to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

That bill mandates that the flag be displayed at federal sites, including the U.S. Capitol, White House and national cemeteries on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Independence Day and other holidays.

“The brave men and women who laid down their lives in service to our nation deserve our deepest gratitude and lasting remembrance,” Kiggans said in a February statement. “While we can never fully repay the debt we owe them, we must always ensure their legacy is honored.”

VVA National President Tom Burke argued the idea has not been adequately discussed.

The American flag already represents the sacrifices of Americans who have died in defense of the nation, he contended in a statement.

“Rather than creating confusion and strife regarding official national symbols by introducing new federally recognized commemorative flags, VVA encourages Congress to direct its efforts towards policies that directly benefit Gold Star families, survivors, wounded veterans, and those currently serving,” Burke said.

The group’s position appeared to have deviated from its stance on the flag in 2009, when it granted permission in a letter to Honor and Remember, Inc., led by Lutz, to use the VVA logo on its website in a public show of endorsement.

The effort to use the flag as a national symbol has the support of numerous other veterans organizations, including AMVETS, POW/MIA Families, Abbey Gate Coalition and Brothers Keeper Veteran Foundation, as well as NASCAR and the National Hockey League.

In a 2025 letter of support, the Abbey Gate Coalition — a group of Gold Star families of service members killed at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021 — wrote that the Honor and Remember flag would fill a gap in national symbols dedicated to fallen troops and their families.

“The United States Flag represents our freedom. The POW/MIA flag reminds us of those who never returned home, but there is still no national emblem that speaks solely to the sacrifice of the fallen and the grief carried by the families,” the group wrote.

“The Honor and Remember Flag would fill that gap. It is not political. It is not divisive. It is a simple, powerful message of remembrance, gratitude, and love from a grateful nation.”

The research, released by the the Washington think tank Tuesday, examined veterans’ use of psilocybin mushrooms, LSD and MDMA, along with their levels of support for legal use of the drugs and their understanding of the VA’s policies on them.

The study comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has funneled funds into studying psychedelics as a form of mental health therapy, often promoting their potential to treat veterans, in particular. Despite recent support from the federal government, the study revealed confusion among veterans about the VA’s policies regarding the substances.

“VA policy around psychedelics remains unclear, and we found that about half of veterans were unsure about discussing them with a VA doctor,” Michelle Priest, lead author of the report, said in a statement. “That uncertainty matters, especially as veteran issues are prominently featured in policy conversations surrounding psychedelics, both at the federal and state levels.”

About half of veterans were unsure whether discussing their use of psychedelics with their VA doctors would risk their benefits. The VA issued a policy in 2023 that encourages veterans to discuss their marijuana use with their doctors — and specifies that marijuana use wouldn’t affect their benefits — but there’s no such guidance or guarantee for other drugs, RAND said.

Asked about the findings Tuesday, a VA spokesperson directed reporters to the department’s webpage, which states the agency “strongly discourages self-medicating or attempting to replace other mental health treatment options with psychedelics or any other unprescribed substances.”

“Proven, evidence-based treatments, are currently available at VA facilities to treat veterans with mental health conditions,” the VA website continues. “Veterans should always consult their health care providers before making any treatment decisions.”

About 27.5% of all veterans have used the substances, the study states. LSD was the most common, with veterans being more likely than the general population to have used LSD in their lifetime.

The study found that veterans were more likely to support the legal use of psilocybin mushrooms and LSD — 23% for mushrooms and 11% for LSD — but support for MDMA, at 9%, was about the same as the rest of the country.

Last year, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center received a $4.9 million Defense Department grant to fund a study of MDMA and its effects on active-duty soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Trump signed an executive order in April committing at least $50 million in federal funds to boost research on ibogaine, a powerful hallucinogen derived from the African shrub iboga.

During the signing ceremony, Trump said, “It’s for a lot of people, but it’s for our military in particular. The suicide epidemic among veterans is a national tragedy.”

Less than 1% of veterans have used ibogaine, the RAND study found. About 5% of veterans who hadn’t used it were willing to try it.

Following the executive order, which directed the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate reviews of certain psychedelic therapies, the VA announced its launch of a clinical trial to evaluate MDMA-assisted therapy on severe mental health disorders.

The purpose of the June 12 memo, it says, is to bring the department into compliance with two executive orders signed last year at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term: one that ended the federal government’s diversity, equity and inclusion activities and another that required the federal government to recognize two biological sexes.

Undersecretary for Health John Bartrum sent the directive to all Veterans Health Administration senior leaders, as well as directors of the 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks and VA medical center directors.

“VA must ensure all veterans are treated based on their clinical needs and without discrimination,” Bartrum wrote in the memo. “This guidance ensures VHS will do just that.”

No VA funds, official time, facilities nor other resources should be used for meetings, trainings, working groups or activities “promoting gender-ideology or gender-identity,” Bartrum’s memo reads.

The memo also directs all of the VA’s LGTBQ+ care coordinators to be redesignated simply as “care coordinators,” who will be “dedicated to facilitating VA health care and benefits for all veterans, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex or sexual orientation.”

The VA employs at least one LGBTQ+ care coordinator for each of its 142 health care systems, according to the department. They’re responsible for creating a safe and respectful environment throughout each medical facility, spreading knowledge about LGBTQ+ services and educating and training staff.

“VA staff play a critical role in ensuring that LGBTQ+ veterans receive the care they need and have earned in service to our country,” the VA’s website still read Thursday. “LGBTQ+ veterans have faced bias and discrimination, which can affect health. At Veterans Health Administration, we aim to make sure that LGBTQ+ veterans know that they are welcome.”

VA leaders were given until June 26 to confirm the noncompliant activities had ended.

The memo was first obtained by The Advocate, a news outlet dedicated to covering the LGBTQ+ community. The publication spoke to VA medical center providers who were concerned the new guidance could end PRIDE in All Who Served, a support group for LGTBQ+ veterans, as well as CBT-PRISM, a style of therapy designed to meet the effects of stigma and discrimination on LGBTQ+ veterans.

In addition to the other changes, the memo says that employees’ uniforms must be in compliance with the two executive orders. The American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing more than 300,000 VA employees, said the guidance “orders employees to adhere to uniform and attire standards that may not align with their identities.”

Overall, the changes set forth in the memo will result in LGBTQ+ veterans avoiding treatment, Tiffany McPherson, the union’s PRIDE chair, argued in a statement.

“Some will avoid treatment — especially mental health services — out of fear of being misgendered, stigmatized, or treated with disrespect,” McPherson said. “For a community already facing higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide, those consequences aren’t hypothetical — they’re real, and the agency knows it.”

Last year, VA officials announced they would phase out all medical treatments for gender dysphoria, including hormone therapy and any surgical options for transgender veterans.

The measure, which has bipartisan support, was added as an amendment to the House version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, a massive defense funding and policy bill. After more than 14 hours of debate, the committee sent the bill to the full House, where it’s expected to go to the floor for a vote in July.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., introduced the amendment. Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran, previously grilled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the cost of the war. During an April 29 hearing, Moulton guessed the cost could reach $100 billion, or about $600 per U.S. taxpayer, he said.

“For the American taxpayers out there, I’m just wondering if they have an extra 600 bucks lying around to pay for your war,” Moulton said. “That’s a question we ought to ask.”

The measure requires the defense secretary to provide the House and Senate armed services committees with an unclassified assessment of the total cost of the operations by April 1, 2027. The U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran began Feb. 28.

In addition to the costs of damaged or destroyed equipment and property, expended munitions and deployments, the report would include the cost of an ongoing U.S. Navy blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, the proposal says.

Pentagon officials estimated May 12 that the total cost of the Iran war had reached $29 billion, up from $25 billion on April 29. Jules Hurst III, the Defense Department’s acting comptroller, relayed the figures to lawmakers during back-to-back budget hearings on Capitol Hill.

Hurst emphasized that the projections did not include expenditures for repairing damaged military installations in the region.

A Congressional Research Service report released May 13 tallied 42 U.S. aircraft lost or damaged during the war, with drones accounting for 25 of the 42 losses.

The Pentagon has not publicly disclosed the scale of munitions expended before a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran took effect April 7, citing operational security. A May 27 analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, however, found that more than 1,000 Tomahawk missiles had been launched during the U.S. strikes on Iran and 290 THAAD interceptors were used.

In addition to providing the cost assessment to the armed services committees, the measure mandates the Defense Department make it publicly available on its website.

The proposal would authorize Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to offer a discount at exchange stores that’s equivalent to the price of the federal gas tax. The tax is 18.4 cents per gallon for regular and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel.

The proposal would also allow the secretary to cut fuel prices further in order to counteract state and local taxes.

Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., introduced the measure, which was included — with bipartisan support — in the House’s version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act that passed through the House Armed Services Committee early Friday morning.

“This discount, equal to the federal fuel tax, shows profound gratitude to our nation’s heroes who have borne the heavy costs of war defending our freedoms,” Hamadeh said in a statement. “This common-sense step delivers real relief to our selfless service members and their families.”

But the relief won’t be imminent. The bill next goes to the full House for a vote, followed by negotiations with the Senate to establish a final fiscal 2027 defense package.

Over the past several years, the budgeting process has included stopgap funding measures and stretched to December before defense appropriations were finalized.

Domestic gas prices have surged since the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran began on Feb. 28. The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a key waterway for global oil trade — has sent oil prices up.

Across the U.S., Memorial Day weekend prices were the highest they’d been in four years, according to the American Automobile Association.

The national average for a gallon of regular was $4.56 over that holiday weekend, $1.38 higher than the same weekend last year.

Pump prices have cooled in the days since, with the average cost of a gallon of regular on Thursday at $4.24.

“But uncertainty lingers over when the Strait of Hormuz will fully reopen and resume traffic,” AAA said in a release. “That unknown means oil prices will likely not decrease dramatically as summertime gasoline demand starts going up.”

According to the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, fuel prices are set locally by surveying gas stations in close proximity to installations and matching the lowest price.

Polling about the Iran war has revealed deep concerns from Americans about the increased gas prices. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll from May, 63% of the country say their household’s personal financial situation has taken a hit from recent gas price increases, up from 55% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in March.

President Donald Trump said in a CBS News interview in May that he would consider suspending the federal gas tax for all Americans, but the tax moratorium would require an act of Congress.

Service members attending the event must also meet certain physical standards, according to an internal document reviewed and authenticated by Military Times.

In the document, the Pentagon called on commanders to find volunteers to attend the June 14 matches, which are being held in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary — and President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.

The administration set aside about 1,200 tickets for active-duty troops, said Dana white, CEO of the UFC. Celebrities and personal invitees of the Trump administration and UFC leadership will also attend.

The televised event will take place on the South Lawn, where a caged octagon with a towering patriotic arch was erected for the occasion.

The military described it as a “high visibility” event and provided a list of requirements for those selected to attend.

Service members must meet a waist-to-height ratio of 0.55 or less, the document states. Troops must also meet their service-specific physical fitness standards to attend.

The Pentagon introduced the waist-to-height ratio earlier this year as a means to evaluate the body fat of troops.

The ratio, which is calculated by dividing someone’s waist circumference by their height, replaced traditional height-and-weight tables as the primary measure of physical standards.

The U.S. Marine Corps imposed a more strict measure, ordering their personnel to meet a waist-to-height ratio of 0.52 or less.

A man’s average height in the U.S. is around 5 feet, 7 inches tall with a waist circumference of 40.6 inches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. That equates to a waist-to-height ratio of 0.59. The average height for a woman is approximately 5 feet, 2 inches tall with a waist of 38.5 inches, making the waist-to-height ratio 0.61.

Service members selected for the UFC matches should also be “genuine UFC fans,” the document says. Commands were encouraged to select junior enlisted service members and junior officers.

The Pentagon also asked that commands select service members outside the national capital region. However, the document noted that the military would not cover the cost of their travel.

Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, told Military Times last week that the endeavor “will be one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history, and President Trump hosting it at the White House is a testament to his vision to celebrate America’s monumental 250th anniversary.”

American Justin Gaethje and Spanish-Georgian champion Ilia Topuria are slated to headline the card in a lightweight title fight, while Brazil’s Alex Pereira and France’s Ciryl Gane will square off for the heavyweight crown.

Military Times reporters Cristina Stassis and Tanya Noury contributed to this report.

In a short statement, the Defense Commissary Agency said only that the change took effect Wednesday and applied to commissaries worldwide. Commissaries in states or localities that mandate bags fees would still have to comply with those laws.

“The policy, introduced on April 6, which required commissary patrons to pay for single-use plastic and paper bags, has been rescinded,” the statement reads.

In a separate statement, Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., a former Navy helicopter pilot, took credit for the reversal, saying the commissary agency’s decision followed months of advocacy.

Kiggans penned a letter to Anthony Tata, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and she spoke about the issue directly with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after his testimony before the House Armed Services Committee last week, she said.

“I was deeply frustrated when DeCA announced it would impose a charge for paper and plastic bags — an added cost that complicates a benefit intended to support our service members, retirees and their families,” Kiggans said in a statement. “I appreciate Secretary Hegseth for listening to my concerns and taking swift action to eliminate this fee.”

The policy required commissary customers to pay 5 cents each for plastic bags and 10 cents for paper bags.

Providing the single-use bags costs the commissary agency $17 million per year, spokesperson Keith Desbois said when the agency announced the policy in March.

The commissary agency receives about $1.5 billion per year in taxpayer dollars to operate these discounted grocery stores as a benefit for the military community.

The Defense Department’s goal is an overall savings of 25% compared to commercial stores outside the gate.

Military Times reporter Karen Jowers contributed to this story.

The monkey attack occurred in Phuket, where the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Chief was moored briefly to refuel. Axios first reported the monkey attack Thursday.

“The sailor received medical care and was transferred back to Japan for further care,” Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for the Navy’s 7th Fleet, said in an emailed statement. ”There were no operational impacts or delays to Chief.”

Navy officials confirmed the service member received only a light scratch, but protocol required a medical transfer because of the brush with a wild animal.

The Navy did not specify the species of monkey involved in the attack.

The incident occurred just days after two U.S. soldiers were wounded in an encounter with a bear in a remote area of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, while conducting a land navigation exercise.

The Army said in a Monday statement the soldiers were treated for serious injuries at an Anchorage hospital and had been discharged.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which is investigating the incident, attributed their survival to bear spray.

The Chief, meanwhile, is still set to join the minesweeping mission in the highly contested Strait of Hormuz, a choke point for about 20% of global energy supplies.

Iran imposed a blockade on the strait amid U.S. and Israeli strikes against the country, while the U.S. has fought back with a counter-blockade.

In an effort to end Iran’s disruption of shipping, the U.S. is trying to secure the strait from mines. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned during a press briefing Friday that any attempts by Iran to lay more mines would be a violation of an ongoing ceasefire.

A United States F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet has been shot down by enemy fire over Iran, U.S. officials confirmed.

One of the aircraft’s two crew members has been rescued, Israeli media first reported. U.S. officials confirmed the reports in statements to CBS News and Axios.

A search for the second crew member is ongoing.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Military Times “the president has been briefed” on the downed fighter jet.

The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Officials in Iran, meanwhile, called for the search and capture of any surviving crew members of the jet, according to reports by the semi-official ISNA news agency and the Young Journalists Club.

The governor of one of the Islamic Republic’s provinces stated that anyone who captures or kills the crew would receive a special commendation.

Video circulating on social media appeared to show a low-flying U.S. Air Force HC-130 refueling a pair of HH-60G Pave Hawks over Iran while conducting a search for the downed crew.

Iranian state media on Friday shared images of aircraft debris alongside claims that Iran had downed a U.S. F-35 fighter jet.

However, images of the aircraft’s tailfin, specifically the red stripe on its vertical stabilizer, are consistent with markings used by the 494th Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lakenheath.

Iran also shared an image of an Advanced Concept Ejection Seat allegedly from the shot down F-15E.

The search-and-rescue effort inside Iran during an ongoing conflict greatly raises the stakes for the United States.

U.S. Central Command on Tuesday issued a statement denying claims that “Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps downed an ‘enemy’ fighter jet over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.”

“All U.S. fighter aircraft are accounted for,” the CENTCOM statement read. “Iran’s IRGC has made the same false claim at least half a dozen times.”

The location of the downed jet has not yet been confirmed.

The shoot-down marks the first time during Operation Epic Fury that a manned U.S. aircraft has been brought down by enemy fire.

A U.S. F-35 fighter jet was reportedly hit by enemy fire during a combat mission over Iran on March 19, but was able to make an emergency landing at a U.S. air base in the region.

Six U.S. airmen were killed on March 12 when their KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during combat operations.

On March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were shot down by a Kuwaiti F/A-18 in a friendly fire incident. All six F-15 crew members ejected and were safely recovered.

A total of 13 U.S. service members have been killed during combat actions against Iran.

As of March 31, 348 U.S. personnel have been wounded, Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, U.S. Central Command spokesperson, told DefenseScoop. Of those injured, the majority have since returned to duty. Six remain seriously wounded.

Reuters contributed to this report.