3 American soldiers deceased after US armored vehicle pulled from Lithuanian swamp
Three American soldiers were declared deceased on Monday after crews in Lithuania retrieved the M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle they were traveling in, which sank in a swamp last week.
The announcement came as search and recovery efforts are ongoing for a fourth soldier near Pabradė, Lithuania, according to U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
"Three U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division were found deceased in Lithuania today, March 31. The soldiers, whose identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, went missing in the early morning hours of March 25 in their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle," U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement.
"The M88A2 was removed from the peat bog early Monday morning, March 31, after a six-day-long effort that required tremendous resources from Lithuania, our steadfast ally, and hundreds of service members from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Polish Armed Forces – along with other elements from the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies – to solve the engineering challenge of recovering the 63-ton-vehicle from an area surrounded by unstable ground conditions," it added.
Us Armored Vehicle Pulled From Lithuanian Swamp
"The soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just soldiers – they were a part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general. "We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary 'Dogface Soldiers' during this unimaginable time.
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"But the search isn't finished until everyone is home. Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found," he also said.
The Army said "Lithuanian armed forces provided military helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, and search and rescue personnel immediately to join the effort, and over the sequence of days brought in excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, other heavy construction equipment, technical experts, and several hundred tons of gravel and earth to enable the recovery."
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Monday, "It is with deep sadness and sorrow that I received the news of the tragic loss of three U.S. soldiers during a US-led training exercise in Lithuania."
In a post on X, Nausėda tagged President Donald Trump and wrote, "Lithuania mourns together with the American nation.
"Please accept my heartfelt condolences, as well as those of the Lithuanian people, to you, the loved ones of those who lost their lives, and all the people of the United States of America," he continued.
Lithuanian, Polish Troops Aid In 'Search And Recovery' For 4 Missing Us Soldiers From Fort Stewart
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė announced on Facebook earlier this morning that "The armored vehicle was pulled ashore at 4:40 a.m., the towing operation is complete, Lithuanian Military Police and U.S. investigators continue their work," according to the Associated Press.
"The soldiers were deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia," according to the Army.
"U.S. Navy divers assigned to Commander, Task Force 68 assisted the recovery team with finding and accessing two hoist points Sunday evening. They maneuvered through thick layers of mud, clay, and sediment with zero visibility to reach the vehicle and hook steel cables that were attached to two M88A2 Hercules," it added. "Partway through the extraction the M88A2s began to lose traction, so several dozers were attached to provide additional grip. It took approximately two hours of winching to remove the M88A2 from the bog.
The soldiers first disappeared early Tuesday. The next day, the M88 Hercules was discovered in a peat bog and was "assessed to be around four meters below the water's surface and encased in about two meters of mud," U.S. Army Europe and Africa also said.
The cause of the accident remains unclear.Original article source: 3 American soldiers deceased after US armored vehicle pulled from Lithuanian swamp
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One group of B-2 stealth bombers traveled west from Missouri on Saturday as decoys, drawing the attention of amateur plane spotters, government officials and some media as they headed toward a U.S. air base in the Pacific. At the same time, seven other B-2s carrying two 'bunker buster' bombs apiece flew eastward, keeping communications to a minimum so as not to draw any attention. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at Sunday's briefing that it was all 'part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise' and that only 'an extremely small number of planners and key leaders' knew about it in Washington and Florida, where U.S. Central Command is based. After 18 hours of furtive flying that required aerial refueling, the armed B-2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, arrived on time and without detection in the Eastern Mediterranean, from where they launched their attack runs. Before crossing into Iran, the B-2s were escorted by stealthy U.S. fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft. A graphic released by the Pentagon showed the flight route as passing over Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. It was unclear whether those countries were notified of the U.S. overflight in advance. Most U.S. lawmakers were also kept in the dark, with some Republicans saying they were provided a brief heads-up by the White House before the strike. 'Our B-2s went in and out and back without the world knowing at all,' Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters Sunday. A multifaceted attack About an hour before the B-2s entered Iran, Caine said that a U.S. submarine in the region launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles against key targets, including a site in Isfahan where uranium is prepared for enrichment. As the U.S. bombers approached their targets, they watched out for Iranian fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles, but encountered none. 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A look at the numbers The mission included: — 75 precision-guided weapons: these included 14 GBU-57 'bunker buster' bombs deployed by the seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, and more than two-dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a U.S. submarine. — 125 aircraft, including the B-2 bombers, fighter jets and refueling planes. A female pilot Hegseth said Sunday that 'our boys in those bombers are on their way home right now.' But a U.S. official said one woman was among those piloting the B-2 bombers. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the mission publicly. A bit of history Caine said the use of the bunker-buster bombs made the mission historic, as did other elements. 'This was the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history, and the second longest B-2 mission ever flown, exceeded only by those in the days following 9/11,' he told reporters Sunday. ___ Lolita C. Baldor in Narragansett, Rhode Island and Nicholas Ingram in Knob Noster, Missouri, contributed reporting. Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
