ALL 4 U.S. SOLDIERS FOUND DEAD IN LITHUANIA, REMAINS WILL RETURN TO THE U.S.
Unfortunately, the search for U.S. Soldiers in Lithuania has taken a turn for the worse. Despite reports coming way too early on the fate of warfighters training with NATO, it has now been confirmed that three of the Soldiers are dead, with another one still missing. This comes in the midst of an ongoing search that has spanned days and fought misinformation to the distress of families.
4 Soldiers Die After NATO Training in Lithuania Goes Wrong
For days, four Soldiers training in Lithuania were missing, and now, it has been confirmed that they have passed away.
The Soldiers have been identified as Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, and Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, all of whom served within the Army's 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, GA. Their remains will take a U.S. Air Force transport plane to Dover AFB in Delaware for processing.
Hundreds of rescuers from the U.S., Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland worked together in a stressful, weeklong search in the hopes of rescuing any survivors. Sadly, everyone involved would instead be recovered.
The 3rd Infantry Division Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, issued a statement on the incident saying, “This past week has been devastating. Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.”
Soldiers that were sent from Fort Stewart, GA, as a part of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, went into a swampy area of terrain on an M88 recovery vehicle, according to those who last saw them.
The vehicle was found deeply submerged in mud and water, and in order to reach them, specialized equipment was used to drain the area with considerable efforts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Because of these harsh environments and the complicated process, which requires crews to construct berms to contain the area before training, the search and recovery efforts took a week.
“Due to the terrain, this is an incredibly complex engineering effort. The team on the ground is working to remove enough water and mud for rescue teams to safely reach, stabilize, and access the vehicle,” said Maj. Robin Bruce, a 1st Armored Division engineer, in a statement.
Confirmed Deaths
Six days after the Soldiers went missing in a bog, three Soldiers were found dead, and their armored vehicle had been removed from the difficult terrain.
Hundreds of tons of rocks and debris were removed using a variety of methods, including aerial approaches from Lithuanian military helicopters, other aircraft, unmanned aircraft, pumps on the ground, excavators, and more.
We now know the fate of all four Soldiers after recovery efforts, which, unfortunately, would produce no survivors.
Routine NATO Training Gone Wrong
Aggression from the Kremlin continues, as does the war in Europe. As a result, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, was deployed in January 2025 to help bolster defenses on NATO's eastern flank.
Lithuania is a major part of NATO’s joint exercises, which helps keep enemy superpowers at bay while preparing warfighters for potential conflicts.
The exercise the missing Soldiers were conducting was routine and took place near Pabradė, a small city very close to the border of Belarus, a key ally of the Kremlin.
Driving tactical vehicles, even in the capacity of training, always comes with risks, and unfortunately, the incident unfolding in Lithuania is yet another example. In many cases, other factors, such as sleep deprivation, often play a role.
Troop Deaths Previously Confirmed Too Early
While we now know the fate of three of those involved, misinformation was spread a bit too early by officials beforehand. This would lead to unnecessary added stress to military families who are connected to the incident and inspire officials to backtrack their statements.
On March 26, 2025, remarks from Secretary General Mark Rutte made it seem that the Soldiers everyone was still looking for had passed away—which at the time remained unclear.
Sadly, these premature notions made headlines and hit home for those involved. This would lead to NATO backtracking and releasing a statement on X, formally Twitter, stating, “The search is ongoing. We regret any confusion about remarks (Secretary General Mark Rutte) delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports and was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown.”
Again, it’s going to take days to figure out everything, and even when new information is available, the Army typically withholds identities until next of kin are notified.
The incident in Lithuania follows a January accident where 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers Staff Sgt. Shelbe Butner, 28, and Spc. Jacob Mullen, 25, died after their vehicle overturned near Fort Stewart.
Update: March 30, 10:00pm CET
An update has been provided by the 3rd Infantry Division as of March 30th at 10:00pm CET. It reads as follows:
"U.S. Navy divers from CFT-68 successfully attached a second line to a hoist point on the M88A2 Hercules.
Now that the second line has been shackled, the Hercules can be anchored to prevent it from sinking any further into the bog.
Engineers expect to start winching early this morning. The process is projected to take a significant amount of time and effort, as the terrain surrounding the peat bog remains challenging - but the rescue workers will not be deterred."
Families Involved With Lithuania Missing Soldiers Unhappy With Messaging
One of the biggest things brought about in the Internet era is the ability to communicate with anyone in the world at an astounding speed.
Unfortunately, misinformation can travel just as fast as information can travel.
The missing Soldiers in Lithuania are yet another example, considering the backtracking that many news sites have been forced to do after finding out that their information might not have been as accurate as they had thought.
No one is perfect, but it’s still an unfortunate situation as the families of those involved, whether they are worried about their loved ones or have loved ones looking for the missing Soldiers, are forced to bear the burden misinformation can bring.
Now that there is more clarity showing that the worse has become a reality, it’s more important than ever to provide the truth, empathy, and respect in honor of those lost and for the families involved.
The hunt for the missing Soldiers in Lithuania is yet another reminder of the sacrifices those who put on the uniform endure so that we can know peace. Four heroes died training to be the best they could be. May they rest in peace, and may their families find comfort during these difficult times.
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