4th missing US Army soldier found dead in Lithuania
Body of a fourth U.S.soldier found dead in Lithuania one week after they went missing after their vehicle was swallowed by peat bog.
The body of the fourth U.S. Army soldier who went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania one week ago has been found, officials said Tuesday.
The soldier was the last to be discovered after three other soldiers were found dead on Monday, the Army announced in a statement.
"The Soldier was found after a search by hundreds of rescue workers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces, and many other elements of the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies," the statement said.
The soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, were conducting tactical training at the Pabrade training ground near the border with Belarus when they disappeared on March 25. They were reported missing after they did not return, Army officials said. Their vehicle was found submerged in a nearby bog the next day.
The Army said the 63-ton M88 Hercules vehicle was recovered early Monday morning using excavators, pumps and other construction equipment. None of four soldiers' names have been released.
"This past week has been devastating," Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, said in a statement. "Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them."
The week-long search for the soldiers included scouring thick forest and swampy terrain, and using specialized equipment to stabilize the soft ground in the area, officials explained.
The soldiers had been deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve as they worked alongside Lithuanian armed forces at last week's training exercise. Lithuania is a former Soviet republic and has been a member of NATO since 2004.
"I can't say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us," Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, said in a statement. "We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies - and our own Sailors, Airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers - have enabled us to find and bring home our Soldiers. This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends."
Meanwhile, at the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt started Tuesday's press briefing with reporters mentioning the four soldiers' tragic recovery.
"The president, the secretary of defense and the entire White House are praying for the victims, friends and family during this unimaginable time," Leavitt said. "This is another stark reminder of the selfless sacrifice of our brave military men and women who risk their lives around the world every day to keep us safe. God bless them."