The body of the fourth U.S. Army soldier who went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania last week has been recovered, officials confirmed Tuesday. This discovery follows the recovery of three other soldiers who were found dead on Monday.
According to a statement from the U.S. Army, the soldier was located after an extensive search effort involving hundreds of rescue workers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces, and numerous Lithuanian government and civilian agencies.
The soldiers, part of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart, Georgia, were conducting tactical training at the Pabrade training ground near the Belarus border when they went missing on March 25. They were reported missing after failing to return from the exercise, and their vehicle was found submerged in a nearby peat bog the following day.
Early Monday morning, the Army recovered the 63-ton M88 Hercules recovery vehicle using excavators, pumps, and other heavy equipment. The names of the four soldiers have not yet been released.
“This past week has been devastating,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division. “Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.”
The week-long search operation involved navigating dense forests and swampy terrain, using specialized equipment to stabilize the soft ground. The soldiers had been deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, working alongside Lithuanian armed forces during the training exercise.
Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, praised the support from Lithuania and NATO allies. “I can’t say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us,” Donahue said. “We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies—along with 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.”
At the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt opened Tuesday’s press briefing by expressing condolences for the four soldiers and their families, highlighting the tragic nature of the incident.
