Latest news with #M88A2
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
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Fourth Fort Stewart Soldier found dead in Lithuania, investigation continues
This afternoon near Pabradė, Lithuania, the fourth U.S. Army Soldier assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division who went missing on March 25 was found dead, according to a press release issued by U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The soldiers went missing in the early morning hours of March 25 in their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle. Early the next morning, U.S. Army units supported by Lithuanian Armed Forces and law enforcement 'conducted a search in the area and found the soldiers' vehicle submerged in a body of water." Of the four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing, three were found dead in Lithuania on March 31, as previously reported by the Savannah Morning News. In the early morning of March 31, the M88A2, which weighs 63 tons, was removed from the peat bog. The soldier was found after a search by hundreds of rescue workers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces, and many other elements of the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies, the press release added. The Soldier's identity is being withheld pending confirmation of notification of next of kin. "First and foremost, we offer condolences to the loved ones of our Soldiers,' said Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. 'I can't say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us. We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies - and our own Sailors, Airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers - have enabled us to find and bring home our Soldiers. This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends.' The U.S. Army is investigating the cause of the accident. 'We are incredibly relieved that we were able to bring this recovery to an end and bring closure to all the Families, friends and teammates of our Soldiers,' said Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commanding general, 1st Armored Division. 'We cannot thank our Allies and fellow service members enough, especially the Lithuanians, who spared no resource in support of this mission. Together, we delivered on our promise to never leave a fallen comrade.' 'As the fourth and final Soldier has been recovered from this tragic accident, we will continue to mourn their loss as we work to quickly return our Dog Face Soldiers home to their families,' said Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general, V Corps. 'It has been truly amazing and very humbling to watch the incredible recovery team from different commands, countries and continents come together and give everything to recover our Soldiers. Thank you, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, the U.S. Navy and the Army Corps of Engineers. We are forever grateful.' More: Three missing Fort Stewart Soldiers found dead in Lithuania after conducting mission The soldiers were deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve (OAR), which was launched by the United States in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014. The soldiers were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. "This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Inf. Div. commanding general. 'Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.' "We continue to stand by the families and loved ones through this incredibly difficult time,' added Norrie. 'Now, it's time to bring them home.' Also on April 1, Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) released a statement. 'I join all Georgians in mourning the devastating loss of four brave servicemembers from Ft. Stewart's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, who tragically lost their lives in Lithuania during a training mission. 'I send my deepest condolences to their families, loved ones, and fellow servicemembers on their loss. 'Our servicemembers risk their lives defending our nation and upholding our commitments to our allies. We will never forget their heroism and bravery. 'May their memories be a blessing.' Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@ This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Fourth Fort Stewart Soldier found dead in Lithuania
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Three US soldiers found dead after massive recovery effort in Lithuanian bog
Three of four missing U.S. soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division were found dead, an Army spokesperson confirmed, after an all-hands effort by U.S. and Lithuanian forces pulled their M88 Hercules recovery vehicle from a deep bog in a Lithuanian swamp Monday. One soldier remained unaccounted for a week after the four-man crew went missing during an exercise in the Pabradė training area. The four soldiers disappeared March 25 when their M88A2 armored recovery vehicle vanished after being dispatched to repair and tow another immobilized tactical vehicle. 'The soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just soldiers. They were a part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home,' said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, the commander of the 3rd Infantry Division in Fort Stewart, Georgia. 'We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary 'Dogface Soldiers' during this unimaginable time. But the search isn't finished until everyone is home.' The recovery of the four soldiers and the 63-ton M88 comes after a huge surge of local experts and equipment and U.S. engineering and search teams to the swampy site. To aid in the search, hundreds of soldiers from the U.S., Lithuania and Poland converged on the site, including local experts with ground penetrating radar and a special U.S. Navy dive team from Commander Task Force-68 in Rota, Spain, was flown in. As far-flung experts like the dive team and engineering units arrived at a nearby airport, U.S. Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters were waiting to fly them to the search site. The M88A2 — among the largest tracked vehicles in the Army's armor arsenal — was swallowed by the swampy peat bog on the Pabradė grounds. Why the huge vehicle ended up off of established roads was unclear and Army officials have said investigations of the accident are underway. Officials have said the M88 may have been encased in mud and black pond waters as deep as 15 feet, though reports have varied on that depth. Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, the commander of the 1st Armored Division, which has led the search, said that the Navy divers set up communication links with another dive team in Hawaii that regularly works in mud and swamps with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. 'They do a lot of recovery missions in heavy swamps and mud,' Taylor said. 'They just completed a similar mission in Papau New Guinea. We had our dive team talking to their dive team about techniques of digging through the mud.' To reach the vehicle, teams had to first shore up dryland around the acres bog and then begin to drain the swamp away with pumps and equipment until divers could descend into the 'mud, clay, and sediment with zero visibility,' the Army said, to hook steel cables to the vehicle. Those cables, the Army said, were attached to two other M88A2s to pull the lost one up, but at least one of the tugs lost traction during the two-hour pull. Several bulldozers were then attached to provide additional grip. With the M88 out of the mud, the dive team has now begun a grid search in the remainder of the bog to find the final missing soldier. 'We will not stop until we find our soldiers and return them to their families,' Taylor said. 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
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
3 American soldiers deceased after US armored vehicle pulled from Lithuanian swamp
Three American soldiers were declared deceased on Monday after crews in Lithuania retrieved the M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle they were traveling in, which sank in a swamp last week. The announcement came as search and recovery efforts are ongoing for a fourth soldier near Pabradė, Lithuania, according to U.S. Army Europe and Africa. "Three U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division were found deceased in Lithuania today, March 31. The soldiers, whose identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, went missing in the early morning hours of March 25 in their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle," U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement. "The M88A2 was removed from the peat bog early Monday morning, March 31, after a six-day-long effort that required tremendous resources from Lithuania, our steadfast ally, and hundreds of service members from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Polish Armed Forces – along with other elements from the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies – to solve the engineering challenge of recovering the 63-ton-vehicle from an area surrounded by unstable ground conditions," it added. Us Armored Vehicle Pulled From Lithuanian Swamp "The soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just soldiers – they were a part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general. "We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary 'Dogface Soldiers' during this unimaginable time. Read On The Fox News App "But the search isn't finished until everyone is home. Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found," he also said. The Army said "Lithuanian armed forces provided military helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, and search and rescue personnel immediately to join the effort, and over the sequence of days brought in excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, other heavy construction equipment, technical experts, and several hundred tons of gravel and earth to enable the recovery." Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Monday, "It is with deep sadness and sorrow that I received the news of the tragic loss of three U.S. soldiers during a US-led training exercise in Lithuania." In a post on X, Nausėda tagged President Donald Trump and wrote, "Lithuania mourns together with the American nation. "Please accept my heartfelt condolences, as well as those of the Lithuanian people, to you, the loved ones of those who lost their lives, and all the people of the United States of America," he continued. Lithuanian, Polish Troops Aid In 'Search And Recovery' For 4 Missing Us Soldiers From Fort Stewart Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė announced on Facebook earlier this morning that "The armored vehicle was pulled ashore at 4:40 a.m., the towing operation is complete, Lithuanian Military Police and U.S. investigators continue their work," according to the Associated Press. "The soldiers were deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia," according to the Army. "U.S. Navy divers assigned to Commander, Task Force 68 assisted the recovery team with finding and accessing two hoist points Sunday evening. They maneuvered through thick layers of mud, clay, and sediment with zero visibility to reach the vehicle and hook steel cables that were attached to two M88A2 Hercules," it added. "Partway through the extraction the M88A2s began to lose traction, so several dozers were attached to provide additional grip. It took approximately two hours of winching to remove the M88A2 from the bog. The soldiers first disappeared early Tuesday. The next day, the M88 Hercules was discovered in a peat bog and was "assessed to be around four meters below the water's surface and encased in about two meters of mud," U.S. Army Europe and Africa also said. The cause of the accident remains article source: 3 American soldiers deceased after US armored vehicle pulled from Lithuanian swamp
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
BREAKING NEWS: Three U.S. Soldiers found deceased in Lithuania
WIESBADEN, Germany (WSAV) — The U.S. Army Europe and Africa has issued a statement saying three of the U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division were found deceased in Lithuania Monday, March 31. The Soldiers, whose identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, went missing in the early morning hours of March 25 in their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle. Search and recovery operations continue for the remaining fourth Soldier. U.S. Army units supported by Lithuanian Armed Forces and law enforcement conducted a search in the area and found the Soldiers' vehicle submerged in a body of water in the early hours of March 26. The M88A2 was removed from the peat bog early Monday morning, March 31, after a six-day-long effort that required tremendous resources from Lithuania and hundreds of service members from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Polish Armed Forces—along with other elements from the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies—to solve the engineering challenge of recovering the 63-ton-vehicle from an area surrounded by unstable ground conditions. 'The Soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just Soldiers – they were a part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home,' said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Inf. Div. commanding general. 'We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary 'Dogface Soldiers' during this unimaginable time. But the search isn't finished until everyone is home. Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found.' '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. 'I'd like to personally commend the heroic efforts of the search parties, and especially our Lithuanian allies who were instrumental in the recovery efforts. Their courage and commitment to this operation will always be remembered and demonstrates the strong relationship between our countries. However, search and recovery efforts are not complete – they will continue until we bring all of our Soldiers home.' The Soldiers were deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. The U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
