Latest news with #SilvestrasŽukauskas
Associated Press
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Lithuanians bid farewell to 4 US soldiers who died during training exercise
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — A procession carrying the coffins of four American soldiers who died during a training exercise in Lithuania will proceed past the capital's cathedral square Thursday. Government officials and religious leaders are expected to pay their last respects before the bodies are taken to the airport to be returned to the U.S. The soldiers, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle went missing a week ago, the Army said. Lithuanian, Polish and U.S. soldiers and rescuers searched through the forests and swamps at the Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė, 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the border with Belarus. The M88 Hercules armored vehicle was pulled from a peat bog Monday and the final body was recovered Tuesday. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, the defense minister and the Vilnius archbishop are expected to attend the ceremony. An honor platoon from 3rd Infantry Division will also pay tribute to the soldiers, Maj. Nicholas Chopp, the deputy media chief for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, told The Associated Press. A Lithuanian nonprofit that also helps Ukrainian war refugees has asked residents of Vilnius to attend the ceremony and pause for a moment when the coffins pass by to pay their respects. 'Even though it's a workday, let's not remain indifferent ... bow your head, and honor the US soldiers who lost their lives during training while preparing to defend our freedom, standing true to their oath, giving their all, to the very end,' Stiprus Kartu, or Strong Together, wrote on Facebook. About 3,500 soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team deployed in January to Poland and the Baltic states for a nine-month rotation as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which supports NATO allies and partners following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
NBC News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Lithuanians bid farewell to 4 U.S. soldiers who died during training exercise
VILNIUS, Lithuania — A procession carrying the coffins of four American soldiers who died during a training exercise in Lithuania will proceed past the capital's cathedral square Thursday. Government officials and religious leaders are expected to pay their last respects before the bodies are taken to the airport to be returned to the U.S. The soldiers, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle went missing a week ago, the Army said. Lithuanian, Polish and U.S. soldiers and rescuers searched through the forests and swamps at the Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė, 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the border with Belarus. The M88 Hercules armored vehicle was pulled from a peat bog Monday and the final body was recovered Tuesday. The U.S. Army has identified the four as Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan; 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. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, the defense minister and the Vilnius archbishop are expected to attend Thursday's ceremony. An honor platoon from 3rd Infantry Division will also pay tribute to the soldiers, Maj. Nicholas Chopp, the deputy media chief for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, told The Associated Press. A Lithuanian nonprofit that helps Ukrainian war refugees has asked residents of Vilnius to attend the ceremony and pause for a moment when the coffins pass by to pay their respects. 'Even though it's a workday, let's not remain indifferent ... bow your head, and honor the US soldiers who lost their lives during training while preparing to defend our freedom, standing true to their oath, giving their all, to the very end,' Stiprus Kartu, or Strong Together, wrote on Facebook. About 3,500 soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team deployed in January to Poland and the Baltic states for a nine-month rotation as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which supports NATO allies and partners following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Arab Times
02-04-2025
- Arab Times
Last US soldier found dead after Lithuania training accident
WASHINGTON, April 2, (AP): The final US soldier who went missing in Lithuania has been found dead, bringing to an end a massive weeklong search for the four service members whose armored vehicle was pulled from a swampy training area, the US military said Tuesday. The bodies of the three other soldiers were recovered Monday after US, Polish and Lithuanian armed forces and authorities dug the M88 Hercules vehicle out of a peat bog at the expansive Gen Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė. The Army released the identities of the three soldiers recovered Monday, but the fourth soldier's name has not been made public as family notifications continue. They were 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. The soldiers, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle were reported missing a week ago, the Army said. "This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier,' Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said in a statement Tuesday. "Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.' Hundreds of Lithuanian and U.S. soldiers and rescuers took part in the search through the thick forests and swampy terrain around Pabradė, 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the border with Belarus. The 63-ton (126,000-pound) armored vehicle was discovered March 26 submerged in 15 feet (4.5 meters) of water, but it took days to pull it out of the bog. Lithuanian armed forces provided military helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems and search and rescue personnel. They brought in additional excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, other heavy construction equipment, technical experts and several hundred tons of gravel and earth to help the recovery. Navy divers maneuvered through thick layers of mud, clay and sediment with zero visibility to reach the vehicle Sunday evening and attach steel cables so it could be pulled out. When just three of the four bodies were found, the divers began a search of the bog area for the fourth.
Arab Times
01-04-2025
- Arab Times
In Lithuania, 3 US soldiers found dead in armored vehicle
VILNIUS, Lithuania, April 1, (AP): Three of the US Army soldiers who went missing in Lithuania have been found dead in their armored vehicle that was pulled from a swampy area early Monday, according to US Army Europe and Africa Command. Another soldier is still missing. The bodies of the three soldiers were recovered after a massive six-day effort by US, Polish and Lithuanian armed forces and authorities to dig the M88 Hercules vehicle out of a peat bog at the expansive General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė. The soldiers were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle were reported missing early Tuesday, the Army said. The command in a statement said the identities of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division soldiers are being withheld pending family notifications. "We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary 'Dogface Soldiers' during this unimaginable time," said Maj Gen Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commander. "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.' Hundreds of Lithuanian and US soldiers and rescuers took part in the search through the thick forests and swampy terrain around Pabradė, just 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of the border with Belarus. The armored vehicle was discovered on Wednesday submerged in 4.5 meters (15 feet) of water. Lithuanian armed forces provided military helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems and search and rescue personnel. They brought in additional excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, other heavy construction equipment, technical experts and several hundred tons of gravel and earth to help the recovery. US Navy divers were able to maneuver through thick layers of mud, clay and sediment "with zero visibility' to reach the 63-ton vehicle Sunday evening and find two points to attach steel cables, according to the command. The command said that during the effort to pull out the vehicle, it began to lose traction, so additional heavy dozers were brought in and attached to provide additional grip. The vehicle was pulled free after about two hours, the command said. "The armored vehicle was pulled ashore at 4:40 am, the towing operation is complete, Lithuanian Military Police and US investigators continue their work,' Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said Monday morning in a post on Facebook. The Navy dive team is now searching the area using radar for the fourth soldier who is still missing. Maj Gen Curtis Taylor, commander of Task Force Iron and the 1st Armored Division, thanked the "heroic efforts' of those involved in the search and recovery.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mystery as US Army vehicle pulled from swamp in Lithuania but soldiers still missing
A US armoured vehicle, missing for six days, has been recovered from a Lithuanian swamp, but the fate of the four American soldiers on board remains unknown. The vehicle was retrieved early Monday morning, according to Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė. The soldiers disappeared along with their vehicle during a training exercise at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė early last Tuesday, the US army confirmed. Lithuanian Military Police and US investigators are continuing their work at the scene. "The armored vehicle was pulled ashore at 4:40 a.m., the towing operation is complete, Lithuanian Military Police and US investigators continue their work,' Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said Monday morning in a post on Facebook. Map of Pabradė: 'Until the investigators have more details, we need to stay calm and focused, and keep in mind the sensitivity of the situation and the concerns of the soldiers' families,' Šakalienė added. She made clear to reporters that the first information about fate of the soldiers will be delivered by the U.S. army. The soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting tactical training when they went missing. Hundreds of Lithuanian and U.S. soldiers and rescuers took part in the search through the thick forests and swampy terrain around Pabradė, which lies just 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of the border with Belarus. The M88 Hercules armored vehicle was discovered on Wedneday submerged in 4.5 meters (15 feet) of water. A large-scale recovery operation got underway but 'water, thick mud and soft ground around the site have complicated recovery efforts and have required specialized equipment to drain water from the side and stabilize the ground' in order to pull the 70-ton vehicle ashore, the army said. Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT originally reported that four soldiers and vehicle were reported missing Tuesday afternoon during an exercise at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė, a town located less than six miles from the border with Belarus. The Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are all Nato members and have often had chilly ties with Russia, a key ally of Belarus, since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.
