US Military News, April 1, 2025 – Pabradė, Lithuania
The U.S. Army concluded a weeklong search on April 1, recovering the remains of four soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division who went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania. The crew vanished on March 25 when their M88 Hercules vehicle sank into a peat bog near Pabradė, close to the Belarus border.
Search Efforts Intensify
Hundreds of U.S., Lithuanian, Polish, and Estonian troops, using drones and divers, located the vehicle on March 31, retrieving three bodies—Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano. The fourth, Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, was found days later.
Investigation Underway
Officials attribute the incident to the swamp’s unstable terrain, with an ongoing probe to determine mechanical or human factors. Major General Christopher Norrie hailed the multinational effort, saying, “We’re bringing our soldiers home, though our hearts are heavy.”