Bodies of three missing US soldiers found in Lithuania

The bodies of three US soldiers have been found. They were missing for six days. The discovery was made in a muddy swamp near Pabradė, Lithuania. This was confirmed by the US Army.

Rescue teams are still searching for a fourth soldier.

Maj Gen Christopher Norrie expressed sorrow over the loss. He stated that the soldiers were part of their family. He emphasized that the search continues until everyone is home.

The search and rescue mission involved multiple forces. It included the US Army, Navy, and Lithuanian and Polish Armed Forces. The operation required tremendous resources, according to a statement.

The four soldiers went missing on March 25. They were conducting an exercise with an M88A2 Hercules vehicle. This vehicle is used to recover damaged tanks from battlefields.

They were on a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle when they disappeared. Their vehicle was found submerged in a bog near Belarus on March 26.

Pulling it out of the mud proved difficult. US Navy divers had to hook cables onto the sunken vehicle. They worked through thick mud with zero visibility.

Those cables connected to two other M88A2 Hercules vehicles, which also began to slide into the bog. Several bulldozers were called in for assistance.

Heavy construction equipment was also brought in, including excavators and pumps. Technical experts joined the effort along with hundreds of tons of gravel and earth.

On Sunday, a mass was held in Vilnius for those lost. Soldiers, military commanders, and Lithuania's defense minister attended.

Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda expressed condolences on X platform. He mourned alongside the American nation and offered heartfelt sympathies to families affected.

The M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicle is designed for heavy military operations in hostile environments like war zones.

Lithuania hosts over 1,000 American troops stationed on rotation as a NATO and EU member country.

The identities of the four soldiers have not been released yet. They served in the 1st Armoured Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart in Georgia.

These soldiers were deployed as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US Army and Lithuanian authorities are investigating what caused this tragic accident.