A week after he went missing in Lithuania, the body of the 4th US Army was found.
The soldiers were part of a team of four who were doing military training on large armored vehicles when they disappeared near Pavlade City.
The bodies of the vehicle – M88A2 Hercules – and three other soldiers were found in a peat marsh on Monday.
The search operation continues, with hundreds of rescuers from the US and Navy, as well as Lithuania, Poland and Estonian troops involved, as the difficult mission of dragging vehicles out of stops, the statement said.
“The past week has been devastating. Today, our hearts carry the weight of unbearable pain… the world is dark without them,” said Major Christopher Norley in a statement released by the US Army Europe and Africa.
Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza described the incident as “tragic accident,” adding that “it’s humble to see incredible recovery teams from various commandments, countries and continents.”
The US military is investigating what happened.
The statement did not specify where the final soldier’s body was found. The team worked near the border with Belarus.
One of the largest military vehicles used by the US military, the M88A2 Hercules is designed to retrieve damaged tanks and other vehicles from the battlefield.
Two more M88A2 Hercules and bulldozers were necessary to drag sinking vehicles out of the swamp on recovery missions where the team works “day and night” all day, the statement said.
Soldier identity is withheld. They were deployed in Lithuania as part of the Atlantic solution operation. This is a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
