Importance Score: 72 / 100 🔴
US Soldiers Found Dead in Lithuania, Search Continues for Fourth
The bodies of three US soldiers who had been missing for six days have been discovered in a marshy swamp near Pabradė, Lithuania, where they were participating in military exercises. The United States Army has officially confirmed this tragic development. Efforts to locate a fourth soldier remain ongoing.
Recovery Operation and Official Statements
Major General Christopher Norrie, in a statement released by US Army Europe and Africa, expressed profound sadness, stating, “The soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were more than just soldiers; they were an integral part of our family. The search operation will persist until every soldier is accounted for and brought home.”
The complex search and recovery mission has involved significant international collaboration, incorporating personnel and resources from the US Army and Navy, as well as the Lithuanian and Polish Armed Forces. According to the official statement, this extensive operation has required “substantial resources”.
Details of the Incident
Vehicle and Mission
The four soldiers were reported missing on the morning of March 25th while engaged in an exercise utilizing their M88A2 Hercules. This large armored vehicle is specifically designed for battlefield recovery of damaged tanks and other military vehicles.
The soldiers were “executing a mission to repair and tow a disabled tactical vehicle” when they disappeared, as detailed in the army statement.
Difficult Recovery of Submerged Vehicle
The soldiers’ M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicle was located submerged in a bog near the Lithuanian-Belarusian border early on March 26th. Extracting the heavy vehicle from the dense mud proved to be an arduous task.
US Navy divers were deployed to attach cables to the sunken vehicle. These divers had to navigate “through dense layers of mud, clay, and sediment with zero visibility,” the statement further explained.
When the cables were connected to two additional M88A2 Hercules vehicles to pull it out, those vehicles also began to slide into the bog, necessitating the deployment of several bulldozers to stabilize the situation.
Further heavy construction equipment, including excavators, slurry pumps, and technical specialists, were brought to the site, along with “several hundred tons of gravel and earth” to aid in the complex recovery effort, the US Army confirmed.
Lithuanian Response and Condolences
Mass in Vilnius and National Mourning
On Sunday, a mass was held in the capital city of Vilnius, attended by soldiers, military commanders, and Lithuania’s defense minister, in remembrance of the fallen soldiers.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda conveyed his nation’s sympathy on social media platform X, stating, “Lithuania mourns alongside the American nation.”
In his message of condolence, President Nausėda addressed then-US President Donald Trump, saying, “Please accept my deepest condolences, and those of the Lithuanian people, to you, to the families of those who lost their lives, and to all the people of the United States of America.”
Operation Atlantic Resolve and Troop Presence
US Military Presence in Lithuania
Lithuania, a member of both NATO and the European Union, serves as a base for over 1,000 American troops on rotational deployment.
The identities of the four soldiers, who were assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, are being withheld pending notification of their next of kin.
Their deployment to Lithuania was part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a mission initiated in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Their home base is Fort Stewart, located in the US state of Georgia.
Investigation Underway
Cause of the Incident
Both the US Army and Lithuanian authorities have launched a joint investigation to determine the cause of this tragic accident.