Three U.S. Army soldiers have tragically been found dead in Lithuania, discovered in their armored vehicle which was retrieved from a swampy area on Monday morning. This discovery follows a concerted six-day search and recovery mission conducted by the U.S., Polish, and Lithuanian military forces. The soldiers went missing during a tactical training exercise last Tuesday at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground near the town of Pabrad?. The expansive search operation continues as one soldier is still missing.
The soldiers belonged to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. Their identities have not been released, as the command awaits notification of their families. Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, expressed deep sorrow for the loss, stating, “We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary ‘Dogface Soldiers’ during this unimaginable time.” He also expressed gratitude for the ongoing search efforts to find the remaining missing soldier.
Hundreds of soldiers and rescuers from both the Lithuanian and U.S. forces were involved in the recovery operation amidst challenging thick forests and swampy conditions around Pabrad?, located just six miles from the Belarus border. The M88 Hercules armored vehicle was located submerged in 15 feet of water mid-week last week.
To aid the intense recovery operation, the Lithuanian armed forces dispatched military helicopters, aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, and personnel for search and rescue. They provided additional equipment including excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, heavy machinery, technical expertise, and brought in several hundred tons of gravel and earth.
U.S. Navy divers worked under difficult conditions with zero visibility, navigating through thick mud, clay, and sediment within the 63-ton armored vehicle to find attachment points for steel cables. The vehicle extraction effort was challenging due to the loss of traction, prompting the need for more heavy dozers to ensure the vehicle could be successfully freed from the swamp. The towing operation was completed early Monday at 4:40 a.m.
Lithuania’s Defense Minister Dovil? Šakalien? confirmed the successful towing operation in a Facebook post, while Lithuanian Military Police and U.S. investigators continue their work to determine the cause of the incident. In the meantime, search efforts are continuing, as the Navy dive team uses radar to locate the fourth missing soldier.
Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of Task Force Iron and the 1st Armored Division, lauded the “heroic efforts” of all those engaged in the recovery operation and expressed hope for bringing closure to this tragic incident through ongoing investigations and searches.