Three American soldiers are at the center of Lithuania's recovery mission Nearly a week after The armored vehicle sank The Army said it was found dead in a water Monday. Work hard to continue finding the fourth soldier.
The Army said in a statement Monday that the soldiers' identity has been detained, pending notification of their next relative. The three soldiers found Monday were assigned to the first Armored Brigade Combat Team of the Third Infantry Division and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Soldiers disappeared last Tuesday while performing missions to repair and tow fixed tactical vehicles. The incident is under investigation by the Army and Lithuanian authorities.
Army and Lithuanian authorities found armored recovery vehicles flooded by soldiers on Wednesday. The vehicle was removed from the peat swamp early Monday morning, the military said. In an update over the weekend, the military said the car was at least 15 feet underwater, clay-like mud and silt.
Hundreds of service personnel from the Army, the U.S. Navy and Polish forces helped bring the 63-ton M88A2 Hercules armor recovery vehicle to the ground, the Army said. Lithuanian civilian institutions also contributed to the effort, with the Army calling unstable ground conditions surrounding submerged vehicles a “engineering challenge.”
Excavators, pumps and hundreds of tons of gravel and the earth were moved to the search area near Pabradė near the border of Lithuania-Beralus to pull up the vehicle.
Major General Christopher Norrie, commander of the Third Infantry Division, said in a statement Monday that the soldiers who died in the incident were families.
“Our hearts are filled with sorrow, echoing throughout the advancement and home of Mentor Ma.” “We are sad with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary 'dog-faced soldiers' in this unimaginable time.”
Searchers are working around the clock, Norry said, looking for the Fourth Army.
Navy divers are sweeping the fences around the peat bog to conduct a systematic search, the Army said.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda expressed condolences to President Trump and the United States on social media.
“ @realdonaldtrump, Lithuania, mourn with the United States,”
Where is Lithuania?
Lithuania is located in the northwest Belarus,Depend on Alexander Lukashenkothe key ally of the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Lithuania joined NATO in 2004, like its northern neighbor Latvia. In the southwestern Lithuania is the Russian provinces of Kaliningrad and Poland, another NATO member.
The Baltic Sea is located in western Lithuania.
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