Fourth missing American soldier found dead in Lithuania

The body of the fourth soldier of the American army who disappeared during a training exercise in Lithuania last week was found on Tuesday afternoon, military officials announced.

The soldier, whose name was not published pending family notification, was the last to be found after the bodies of three other soldiers were found on Monday.

The four soldiers, from the 1st brigade combat team, 3rd infantry division, had disappeared during a training exercise on March 25, when their armored vehicle Hercules M88A2 overwhelmed in a peat bog. The 63 -ton armored vehicle was also removed from the peat bog early on Monday.

The American army and the Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

The soldier was found near Pabradė, after a week’s search that involved hundreds of rescuers from the American, Lithuanian, Polish and Estonian forces. Research required land to cover a thick forest and marshy land and specialized equipment to stabilize soft soil in the region.

The soldiers had been deployed in Lithuania to support the Atlantic Resolve operation “to provide a credible deterrent to the ground alongside the allies and partners,” said the Public Affairs Office of the US Army and Africa. The four were permanently stationed in Fort Stewart, Georgia.

“Last week was devastating. Today, our hearts support the weight of unbearable pain with the loss of our last Dogface soldier,” said major-general Christopher Norrie, 3rd infantry division commanding the general. “Although we have received a closure, the world is darker without them.”