Three of the missing soldiers were found dead after their M88A2 Hercules armored vehicle was located submerged in water near the training area in Pabradė, Lithuania, military officials said.
The Hercules was removed Monday from a peat bog, or a wetland containing decomposed vegetation, military officials said.
They added it took six days to fully recover the 63-ton vehicle due to the “unstable ground conditions” and an “engineering challenge.”
The identities of the soldiers are being withheld, pending next-of-kin notification.
In this image provided by the U.S. Army, U.S. Army soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, along with Lithuanian Army and emergency services personnel, discuss their plan to recover four U.S. soldiers in a U.S. Army M88 Hercules submerged under several meters of water in a swamp near a training area near Pabadre, Lithuania, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Christopher Saundersn/U.S. Army via AP)
“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,” Major Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, said in a news release.
“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.”
The search for the fourth soldier included the use of recovery dogs, drones, ground-penetrating radar, the Lithuanian Armed Forces and personnel from ally Estonia on Tuesday, military officials said.
Details leading to the disappearance of the soldiers were not immediately known.
Military officials said the accident is being investigated by the U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities.