Navy SEAL Deserter Killed During Intense Ukraine Battle

[Nevilledog]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/former-navy-seal-killed-ukraine-battle-1234665040/

No paywall
https://archive.ph/5RLNH

A FORMER AMERICAN special operator died early Thursday morning after being wounded days before fighting alongside the Ukrainian military during intense combat in the eastern frontline city of Bakhmut.

Daniel Swift, 35, lived mostly in the Pacific Northwest and served as a Navy SEAL. The U.S. Navy told Rolling Stone on Friday that Swift is currently designated as an active deserter, and has been since March 2019.

Divorced, he leaves behind four children. Swift represents a climbing number of U.S. military veterans that have been killed over the past year while fighting Russian forces despite President Biden’s pleas for Americans to stay away. News of his death was first reported by TIME magazine.

Adam Thiemann — a former U.S. Army Ranger who previously fought in Ukraine with Swift and stayed in contact with his platoon through phone calls and late-night text messages — told Rolling Stone that during an operation in Bakhmut on the night of Jan. 14 and into the early morning of Jan. 15, Russian forces launched an anti-personnel rocket-propelled grenade at Swift and two other soldiers, knocking them down.

*snip*

[riversedge]

1. He died doing what he wanted to do with his life.

The US really had no fighting wars--so he joined with the Ukrainians.
Now his kids will mourn.

[pecosbob]

2. Wonder why he deserted and what he was doing for the last three years...