Latest news with #DogfaceSoldiers
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Battle Creek soldier killed in U.S. Army training accident in Lithuania
(This story has been updated with a new photo.) The Army has identified the fourth soldier who died during a training in Lithuania as a 28-year-old man from Battle Creek. 'Although we are relieved to have found all our Dogface Soldiers, it does not make the pain of their loss any less,' said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Inf. Div. commanding general. 'We will continue to care for and support the Soldiers' Families and loved ones as we bring them home and honor their memory.' The soldier was identified as Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins. Knutson-Collins, Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois and Edvin Franco, 25 of Glendale, California, were all posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam, also died in the training. Their M88A2 Hercules was reported missing March 25 during a recovery mission in support of regularly scheduled training at Pabradė, Lithuania. Three soldiers and the vehicle was dug out of a peat bog Monday by U.S., Polish and Lithuanian armed forces. The Army said the fourth soldier was recovered Tuesday. 'Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit,' said Capt. Jackson Patillo, commander, Foxtrot Company, 1st Bn., 41st FAR. 'Staff Sgt. Troy Collins was an exceptional friend to all of us and an irreplaceable member to our entire Fox family that we will truly miss.' Knutson-Collins was an artillery mechanic with more than seven years in the Army. He arrived at Fort Stewart, Georgia in February 2018 and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment. According to the Army, Knutson-Collins graduated from the Army Basic Leader Course, the Advanced Leaders Course, the Tracked Vehicle Recovery Operations course, and the Combat Lifesaver course. He deployed to Korea in 2020. His awards include the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Master Technician Badge. 'The pain we feel from this loss is insurmountable,' said Lt. Col. Erick Buckner, 1st Bn., 41st FAR commander. 'Staff Sgt. Knutson-Collins was well loved throughout our unit and a brother to all. He was an expert, an incredibly talented mechanic and a warrior. We will never forget his dedication to his unit, his family and his country.' This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Battle Creek soldier dies in U.S. Army training accident in Lithuania
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Fourth and final soldier identified from armored vehicle that sank in Lithuania swamp
The fourth and final soldier killed in a heavy vehicle accident last week was a 28-year-old artillery mechanic from Michigan, the Army said Wednesday. Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins of Battle Creek, Michigan was killed on March 25 along with three other soldiers when their M88A2 Hercules — a tank-like tow-truck for other armored vehicles — sank into a swampy bog in a Lithuanian training area. He had been assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division since 2018. 'Although we are relieved to have found all our Dogface Soldiers, it does not make the pain of their loss any less,' said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, the commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division. 'We will continue to care for and support the Soldiers' Families and loved ones as we bring them home and honor their memory.' Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam were all identified Tuesday. All four were assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart, Georgia. In an interview Tuesday with a local news station, Knutson-Collins' father, Robert Collins, said he was grateful for the Army's week-long recovery effort to find his son. 'I want to thank them,' he told News Channel 3 in Kalamazoo. 'I would do it in person and shake every one of their hands if it took me a day or two to tell them I appreciate what they did.' After the soldiers' M88A2 disappeared during a routine training exercise, the Army launched a massive recovery operation with hundreds of soldiers from across Europe and a Navy dive team from Spain. Soldiers and civilian workers from Lithuania and Poland were also heavily involved in the recovery effort. Divers found the M88A2 under 15 feet of mud and water in a muddy bog. Knutson-Collins, Jose Duenez Jr., and Edvin Franco were all posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. Knutson-Collins had graduated from the Army Basic Leader Course, the Advanced Leaders Course, the Tracked Vehicle Recovery Operations course, and the Combat Lifesaver course. He deployed to Korea in 2020. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Master Technician Badge. 'Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit,' said Capt. Jackson Patillo, commander, Foxtrot Company, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment. 'Staff Sgt. Troy Collins was an exceptional friend to all of us and an irreplaceable member to our entire Fox family that we will truly miss.' Those 'Hegseth bodyguards' are actually there for the Air Force's 'Doomsday' plane Army wants junior officers to fix quality-of-life issues that drive soldiers out '100% OPSEC' apparently means texting military plans to a reporter Ranger School's new fitness test is tougher than ever, but nixes sit-ups This photo of Air Force special ops pool training is chaos. There's a reason for that.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Final Fort Stewart soldier who died during training exercise in Lithuania identified
The fourth and final soldier from Fort Stewart, Georgia who died in a training exercise in Lithuania has been identified. Officials identified SSgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan as the last soldier who died. His body was recovered on Tuesday. U.S. Army officials previously identified Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois, Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'Although we are relieved to have found all our Dogface Soldiers, it does not make the pain of their loss any less,' said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Inf. Div. commanding general. Knutson-Collins was an artillery mechanic and spent seven years in the Army. He arrived at Fort Stewart in Feb. 2018 and was previously deployed to Korea. 'The pain we feel from this loss is insurmountable,' said Lt. Col. Erick Buckner, 1st Bn., 41st FAR commander. 'Staff Sgt. Knutson-Collins was well loved throughout our unit and a brother to all. He was an expert, an incredibly talented mechanic and a warrior. We will never forget his dedication to his unit, his family and his country.' RELATED STORIES: 3 Fort Stewart soldiers who died during Lithuania training exercise identified Body of last Ft. Stewart soldier who vanished during training exercise in Lithuania recovered Bodies of 3 missing Ft. Stewart soldiers found; disappeared during training exercise in Lithuania 4 soldiers from Fort Stewart still missing in Lithuania, despite NATO initial report The soldiers disappeared on 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, Lithuania. A search discovered the vehicle submerged in a swamp on March 26, and several agencies assisted in the days-long effort to remove it. Knutson-Collins, Duenez and Franco have all been posthumously promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
