4 American soldiers who died in Lithuania Swamp when their vehicle has flowed is identified

The army identified the four soldiers who perished last week during a training exercise in Lithuania when their military vehicle was overwhelmed in a deep swamp, triggering a complex and multinational recovery effort.

The soldiers, all assigned to the 1st armored brigade combat team, 3rd infantry division, were based in Fort Stewart, Georgia. They were identified as the staff sergeant. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, from Joliet, Illinois; Sgt of staff. Edvin F. Franco, 25, from Glendale, California; PFC. Dante D. Taitano, 21, from Dededo, Guam; And the staff sergeant. TROY S. KTUSON-COLLINS, 28, from Battle Creek, Michigan.

“Although we are relieved to have found all our soldiers from Dogface, this makes the pain of their loss,” said major-general Christopher Norrie, commander of the 3rd infantry division, in a statement. “We will continue to take care and support the families and relatives of the soldiers while we put them home and honor their memory.”

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KTUTSON-Collins, Duenez and Franco were all promoted posthumously to the rank of staff sergeant.

Knutson-Collins was an artillery mechanic with more than seven years in the army. He was assigned to the 1st battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment. His awards include two army praise medals, a medal for the army and a badge of master technician.

The other three soldiers were all assigned to the 5th squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment.

Duenez, an experienced charm M1 mechanic, served in the army for more than seven years and was previously parked with the 1st infantry division in Fort Riley, Kansas. His praise included two medals of Élogieuses of the army and three medals of realization of the army.

Franco, also a tanker mechanic, had finished more than six years of service and received two Élogieuses of the army and two medals for the army. Taitano, the youngest of the three, had been in service for almost two years and obtained a medal of Élogieuse of the army.

The soldiers were part of a larger deployment of around 3,500 members of the 3rd infantry division which arrived in Europe in January for a nine -month mission. Soted through Poland and the Baltic States, their presence is intended to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO in the middle of increased tensions after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

The soldiers were in a 70 -ton Hercules M88A2, which is indeed a massive armored tow truck for tanks and other combat vehicles. It is believed that the soldiers led to a marshes where the vehicle quickly sank, although the investigation was underway as to what happened.

The soldiers were about to recover another vehicle that had broken down during a training exercise.

The recovery operation for bodies and the M88 was a complex and arduous process of a week, recruiting the expertise of around 200 members of the United States, Polish, Estonian and Lithuanian.

The mission included the deployment of drones, research dogs, naval divers and the radar penetrating on the ground. To stabilize the swampy land, the crews brought nearly 70 tonnes of sand and gravel, highlighting the logistical complexity of the company.

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