The bodies of three American army soldiers who disappeared in Lithuania during a training exercise last week They have been found, and one is still missing, military officers said on Monday.
The soldiers disappeared on the morning of March 25 after their armored recovery vehicle M88A2 Hercules immersed itself in a peat swamp during a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle.
The identities of the soldiers, all of the combat team of the first brigade, the third infantry division, are being held to the slope of family notification, said the Office of Public Affairs of the US Europe and Africa.
Search and recovery operations are ongoing for the remaining fourth soldier.
The soldiers had been deployed in Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and were permanently parked in Fort Stewart, Georgia, military officials said. The Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Police worked with them during the training exercise last week.
His 63 tons armored vehicle was removed from the mob on Monday morning on Monday morning after an arduous six -day effort.
Earlier this week, the US Army. UU. He said that hundreds of soldiers and personnel of application of the law, American and Lithuanian, toured the thick forest and the swampy terrain to find the missing soldiers.
The recovery effort required specialized equipment to stabilize soft land in the area. The effort included Lithuanian military helicopters, fixed -wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, as well as excavators, lock pants and suspension shoes, and several hundred tons of gravel and earth.
“The soldiers that we have lost in this tragedy were not just soldiers, but were part of our family. Our hearts are loaded with a pain that resonates throughout Marne’s division, both front and at home,” Major General Christopher Norrie, 3rd Inf. Div. Div. General Commander, said in a statement.
“We are sorry for the families and loved ones of these extraordinary ‘Soldiers with a dog’s face’ during this unimaginable time. But the search is not finished until everyone is at home,” said the statement.
The US Army. And the Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.
Lithuania is a former Soviet Republic and NATO member since 2004. Since 2014, it has housed hundreds of US troops as part of the “Atlantic Resolution” operation, which began after Russia seized Crimea de Ukraine.
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