UPDATE: 3 U.S. SOLDIERS FOUND DEAD, ONE MISSING FROM LITHUANIA TRAINING MISSION
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.
Multiple 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 at least three of them have passed away.
Forces from the host country as well as the United States continue to navigate difficult terrain in the hopes of rescuing any survivors; however, these prospects have been drastically hurt by the unfortunate fates most of these heroes have already faced.
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 is being used to drain the area so that recovery teams can approach.
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 have spanned days.
“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.
The fate of the final Soldier is still unknown as military and law enforcement continue their efforts in the area as of this writing.
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.
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 final missing Soldier in Lithuania continues, and our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone involved.
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."
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