The fourth American soldier who went missing during exercises in Lithuania has been found dead. This was reported on the website of the US Army Command in Europe and Africa, UNN reports.
Details
The fourth US Army soldier assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, was found dead near Pabrade, Lithuania, on the afternoon of April 1. The soldier's identity is not being released pending verification of next of kin notification.
First of all, we express our condolences to the loved ones of our soldiers. I cannot express enough in words the support that our Lithuanian allies have provided us. We relied on them, and they, along with our Polish and Estonian allies - and our own sailors, airmen and experts from the Engineering Corps - allowed us to find and bring our soldiers home. This is a tragic event, but it confirms what it means to have allies and friends
Let's add
Early in the morning of March 25, four soldiers went missing. The first three soldiers and their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle were recovered from a peat bog early in the morning of March 31.
"This week has been devastating. Today, our hearts bear the burden of unbearable pain from the loss of our last Dogface soldier," said Major General Christopher Norrie, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division. "Although we have received some relief, the world without them has become darker."
The soldier was found after a search by hundreds of rescuers from the US Army, US Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces and many other Lithuanian government and civilian agencies.
"We are incredibly happy that we were able to ... bring relief to all the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers," said Major General Curtis Taylor, commander of the 1st Armored Division. "We cannot thank our allies and colleagues enough, especially the Lithuanians, who spared no resources to support this mission. Together, we fulfilled our promise to never abandon fallen comrades."
For seven days, the combined and joint team worked day and night to find the soldiers.
"...we will continue to mourn their loss as we work to quickly return our Dog Face soldiers home to their families," said Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, Commanding General of the V Corps. "It was truly amazing ... to watch how an incredible team ... from different commands, countries and continents comes together and does everything to save our soldiers. Thank you Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, the US Navy and the Army Corps of Engineers. We are eternally grateful."
The US Army is investigating the cause of the tragedy. Updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
"We continue to support families and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," Norrie said. "Now is the time to bring them home."
Let us remind you
As UNN reported, the search for the missing American soldiers continues at the Pabrade training ground in Lithuania. A few days ago, an armored M88 Hercules vehicle, on which US soldiers had previously traveled, was found submerged in a body of water.