3 U.S. soldiers found dead in Lithuania, 1 still missing after vehicle swallowed by peat bog

The bodies of three U.S. Army soldiers who went missing in Lithuania during a training exercise last week have been found, and one remains missing, military officials said Monday.

The soldiers went missing the morning of March 25 after their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle became submerged in a peat bog during a training exercise with Lithuanian armed forces and law enforcement.

The identities of the soldiers, who were all from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, are being withheld pending family notification, the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Public Affairs Office said.

Search and recovery operations are ongoing for the remaining fourth soldier.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Army said hundreds of soldiers and law enforcement personnel, American and Lithuanian, scoured the thick forest and swampy terrain to find the missing soldiers.

The recovery effort required specialized equipment to stabilize the soft ground in the area.

Lithuania is a former Soviet republic and a member of NATO since 2004. Since 2014, it has hosted hundreds of U.S. troops as part of Operation “Atlantic Resolve,” which began after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine.

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