Three of the four U.S. Army Soldiers based out of Fort Stewart in Georgia who disappeared during a training exercise were found dead Monday in Lithuania, officials said.
A search continues for the fourth soldier.
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They went missing March 25 in their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle in the town of Pabradė. They have not been publicly identified, pending notification of their families.
The spokesperson for U.S. Army Europe and Africa said earlier Monday that crews had pulled the armored vehicle from a swamp on Sunday after a six-day search. The four were assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
“Today is a very sad and tragic day. The loss of these soldiers weighs heavy on me, the hearts of all Task Force Iron service members, and the 3rd Infantry Division. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of these brave soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of Task Force Iron and the 1st Armored Division.
A search discovered the vehicle submerged in a swamp on March 26, and several agencies assisted in the days-long effort to remove it.
Service members from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Polish Armed Forces - along with others from the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies - had to solve the engineering challenge of recovering the 63-ton-vehicle from an area surrounded by unstable ground conditions, the Army spokesperson said.
“The armored vehicle was pulled ashore at 4:40 a.m., the towing operation is complete, Lithuanian Military Police and US investigators continue their work,” Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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