Latest news with #TroyS.Knutson-Collins
The Hill
03-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
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. 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.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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. 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.
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.
Los Angeles Times
03-04-2025
- Los Angeles Times
U.S. Army identifies 4th soldier who died in training accident in Lithuania
WASHINGTON — The Army has released the identity of the fourth soldier who died in a training accident in Lithuania, a day after his body was recovered during a weeklong search that took hundreds of troops and other rescue workers from three nations. The 3rd Infantry Division said Wednesday that the soldier was Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Mich. It said Knutson-Collins and two of the other soldiers who died have been posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. The other two sergeants who were promoted were Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Ill., and Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale. The other soldier who died was Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam. Their three bodies were recovered Monday after U.S., Polish and Lithuanian armed forces and other rescuers dug their M88 Hercules vehicle out of a peat bog at the expansive Gen. Silvestras Zukauskas training ground in the town of Pabrade, six miles west of the border with Belarus. All four soldiers were part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle were reported missing March 25, the Army said. The 63-ton armored vehicle was discovered the following day submerged in 15 feet of water. It took days to pull it out of the bog. Knutson-Collins, an artillery mechanic, had served in the Army for more than seven years and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment. He deployed to South Korea in 2020. 'Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit,' said Capt. Jackson Patillo, a commander in the 1st Battalion. '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.' There will be a formal dignified departure ceremony for the soldiers on Thursday in Vilnius, the capital, which is expected to include top Lithuanian officials and military leaders. They will eventually be transported to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Baldor writes for the Associated Press.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
US Army identifies 4th soldier who died in training accident in Lithuania
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army has released the identity of the fourth soldier who died in a training accident in Lithuania, a day after his body was recovered during a weeklong search that took hundreds of troops and other rescue workers from three nations. The 3rd Infantry Division said Wednesday the soldier was Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan. It said Knutson-Collins and two of the other soldiers who died have been posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. The other two sergeants who were promoted were Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois, and Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California. The other soldier who died was Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam. Their three bodies were recovered on Monday after U.S., Polish and Lithuanian armed forces and other rescuers dug their M88 Hercules vehicle out of a peat bog at the expansive Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė, 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the border with Belarus. All four soldiers were part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle were reported missing on March 25, the Army said. The 63-ton armored vehicle was discovered the following day submerged in 15 feet (4.5 meters) of water. It took days to pull it out of the bog. Knutson-Collins, an artillery mechanic, had served in the Army for more than seven years and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment. He deployed to Korea in 2020. 'Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit,' said Capt. Jackson Patillo, a commander in the 1st Battalion. '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.' There will be a formal dignified departure ceremony for the soldiers on Thursday in Vilnius, the capital, which is expected to include top Lithuanian officials and military leaders. They will eventually be transported to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. (backslash)
