Latest news with #CharlesCostanza
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Body of fourth missing US soldier found in Lithuania
The body of a fourth US soldier has been found, a week after they went missing in Lithuania. The soldier was part of a team of four who were conducting military drills in a large armoured vehicle when they disappeared near the city of Pabrade. The vehicle – a M88A2 Hercules – and the bodies of the other three soldiers were found in a peat bog on Monday. The search effort, followed by the difficult mission to drag the vehicle out of the bog, has involved hundreds of rescue workers from the US Army and Navy, as well as Lithuanian, Polish and Estonian Armed Forces, a statement said. "This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain... the world is darker without them," said Maj Gen Christopher Norrie in a statement released by US Army Europe and Africa. Lt Gen Charles Costanza described the incident as a "tragic accident" and added that it was "humbling to watch the incredible recovery team from different commands, countries and continents come together". The US Army is investigating what happened. The statement did not specify where the final soldier's body was found. The team had been working near the border with Belarus. The M88A2 Hercules, one of the largest military vehicles used by the US Armed Forces, is designed to recover damaged tanks and other vehicles from battlefields. Two more M88A2 Hercules, plus bulldozers were needed to drag the sunken vehicle out of the swamp on Monday, in a recovery mission that saw teams working "day and night", the statement said. The soldiers' identities have been withheld. They had been deployed to Lithuania as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve – a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
BBC News
01-04-2025
- BBC News
Body of fourth missing US soldier found in Lithuania
The body of a fourth US soldier has been found, a week after going missing in soldier was part of a team of four who were conducting military drills in a large armoured vehicle when they disappeared near the city of vehicle – a M88A2 Hercules – and the bodies of the other three soldiers were found in a peat bog on search effort followed by the difficult mission to drag the vehicle out of the bog has involved hundreds of rescue workers from the US Army and Navy, as well as Lithuanian, Polish and Estonian Armed Forces, a statement said. "This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain... the world is darker without them," said Maj Gen Christopher Norrie in a statement released by US Army Europe and Gen Charles Costanza described the incident as a "tragic accident" and added that it was "humbling to watch the incredible recovery team from different commands, countries and continents come together".The US Army is investigation what statement did not specify where the final soldier's body was found. The team had been working near the border with M88A2 Hercules, one of the largest military vehicles used by the US armed forces, is designed to recover damaged tanks and other vehicles from more M88A2 Hercules, plus bulldozers were needed to drag the sunken vehicle out of the swamp on Monday, in a recovery mission that saw teams working "day and night", the statement soldiers' identities have been withheld. They had been deployed to Lithuania as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve – a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
U.S. Army Soldiers Missing in Lithuania as Mystery Deepens
Four U.S. Army soldiers have disappeared in Lithuania. The soldiers "are currently missing in Lithuania in a training area near Pabradė," the U.S. Army Europe and Africa wrote in a March 26 press release. Their vehicle has now been found submerged in water. "The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle the four missing U.S. Soldiers were operating during a training exercise has been located in Lithuania," the Army announced in an updated release. "The vehicle was discovered submerged in a body of water in a training area after a search by U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces and other Lithuanian authorities. Recovery efforts are underway by U.S. Army and Lithuanian Armed Forces and civilian agencies." "The Soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident," the Army wrote in its initial release. 'I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations,' said Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, the V Corps commanding general, in the release. 'It's this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders.' The soldiers have not been named. NATO walked back comments from Secretary-General Mark Rutte indicating the soldiers had died, according to The Associated Press. 'The search is ongoing,' NATO said in a statement posted to its spokesperson's X page. 'We regret any confusion about remarks @SecGenNATO delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
US soldiers missing in Lithuania: Pentagon
The Army said Wednesday that four U.S. soldiers are missing in Lithuania. The U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a press release that the missing soldiers, part of the Army's 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were close to the Lithuanian city of Pabradė within a training area. The U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces and Lithuanian law enforcement are among those looking for the soldiers. 'I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations,' the commanding general of the V Corps, Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, said in the release. 'It's this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders.' The Army said the soldiers were in the middle of tactical training when they went missing in an area northeast of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, close to the country's border with Belarus. Army officials also told Stars and Stripes that soldiers had been in an armored vehicle. The Lithuanian Armed Forces said that a 'notification was received' about the missing soldiers around 4:45 p.m. local time Tuesday. 'A rescue mission began yesterday involving helicopters of the Lithuanian Air Forces and the State Border Guard,' the Lithuanian Armed Forces added in an update on its website. The Fort Stewart, Ga.- based 3rd Infantry Division said in a Wednesday post on Facebook that 'thoughts and prayers are with our Raider Brigade Soldiers and Families during the search for our four missing Dogface Soldiers in Lithuania.' The Hill has reached out to the Army for further comment. Updated at 1:29 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
U.S. Army searching for 4 missing soldiers in eastern Lithuania
March 26 (UPI) -- Four U.S. Army soldiers are missing and search-and-recovery efforts are underway near Pabrade, Lithuania, U.S. Army officials announced Wednesday. The missing soldiers are with the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division and were participating in a tactical training exercise when they went missing from the training area near Pabrade, U.S. Army officials said in a news release. Personnel with the U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Lithuanian law enforcement and others are conducting the search-and-rescue operation for the four unnamed soldiers. "I would like to thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations," V Corps commander Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza said. "It's this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders," Costanza said. The four soldiers are based in Fort Stewart in Georgia and were reported missing on Tuesday. The soldiers' vehicle also is missing. Lithuanian Armed Forces officials received notification of the four missing soldiers and a tracked vehicle at 4:45 p.m. local time Tuesday during the training exercise at the General Silvestra Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade. The search and rescue mission to locate the missing soldiers and their tracked vehicle includes helicopters of the Lithuanian Air Forces and State Border Guard and is led by the Lithuanian Armed Forces with help from the local Fire and Rescue Department and other institutions. A potential accident site has been determined and is the focus of the search for the missing soldiers and vehicle. Pabrade is located in eastern Lithuania near its border with Belarus and about 30 miles northeast of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.
