Captain Swartsfager enlisted in the Air Force on August 14, 2009. He attended Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where he was recognized as 331st Training Reserve Squadron's Honor Graduate. After serving at Minot Air Force Base and Peterson Air Force Base and receiving two meritorious promotions, he was released from Active Duty in 2013. He then attended Colorado College, studied Mandarin at Fudan University in Shanghai, PRC, and received degrees in Political Science/International Relations and Asian Studies.
Commissioned in 2017, 2nd Lieutenant Swartsfager graduated from the Basic School in April of 2018 and attended Air Support Control Officer Course at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center 29 Palms, California. He received orders to Marine Corps Air Support Squadron - 2 (MASS-2) aboard Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan. From 2018 to 2019, he served as a Direct Air Support Control Officer in Air Support Company and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. He deployed in support of the Air Combat Element of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), as the Information Control Officer for the Detachment - 18, where he served aboard the USS Wasp (LHD-1).
In 2019, he was assigned as Exercise Control Officer to Tactical Exercise Control Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force on Camp Hansen. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he assisted in standing up the Joint COVID-19 Response Center at Naval Hospital Okinawa, where he served as the Patient Response Coordination Cell Team Lead. He was promoted to Captain and left active duty in 2021.
After briefly affiliating as an Air Support Control Officer with MASS-6, Captain Swartsfager joined Truck Company, 25th Marine Regiment as Executive Officer in September 2023. He assumed command of Truck Company in May 2024.
Captain Swartsfager will graduate from Duquesne University's Kline School of Law with a Juris Doctorate in May 2025. As a Legal Support Specialist and Certified Legal Intern, he has worked for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Neighborhood Legal Services, the Allegheny County Office of Conflict Counsel and the Immigration Law Project of Jewish Family and Community Services. He anticipates becoming a Bar Certified Attorney-at-Law in the Fall of 2025.
Captain Swartsfager's personal decorations include the Armed Forces Service Medal, The Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal with first device, the Air Force Achievement Medal with first device, and the Sea Service Ribbon with first device.