Last American soldier found dead after a training accident in Lithuania

Washington (AP) – The last American soldier who Disappeared in Lithuania was found dead, ending a massive one week’s search for the four members of the service whose armored vehicle has been withdrawn from a swamp training area, the US military announced on Tuesday.

The bodies of the other three soldiers The Polish and Lithuanian armed forces were found on Monday after us and the authorities dug the Hercules M88 vehicle of a peat bog to the vast general Silvestras žukauskas which trains in the city of Pabradė.

The army released the identity of the three soldiers recovered on Monday, but the name of the fourth soldier was not made public as the family notifications continue. They were the SGT. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, from Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, from Glendale, California; and pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, from Dededo, Guam.

The soldiers, who are part of the 1st combat team of the armored brigade, the 3rd infantry division, did a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle were missing a week ago, the army said.

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

Hundreds of Lithuanian and American soldiers and rescuers participated in research Through thick forests and swampy land around Pabradė, 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the border with the Bélarus. The armored vehicle of 63 tonnes (126,000 pounds) was discovered on March 26 immersed in 15 feet (4.5 meters) of water, but it took days to remove it from the peat bog.

The Lithuanian armed forces have provided military helicopters, fixed sail planes, unmanned air systems and research and rescue staff. They brought additional excavators, lock and suspension pumps, other heavy construction equipment, technical experts and several hundred tonnes of gravel and land to help recovery.

Navy divers maneuvered through thick layers of mud, clay and sediment without visibility to reach the vehicle on Sunday evening and fix steel cables so that it can be removed. When only three of the four bodies were found, the divers began a search for the peat bog for the fourth.

General Christopher Donahue, commander of the American army in Europe and Africa, expressed his gratitude to the American allies who sent troops and equipment to help research and recovery.

“I cannot say enough about the support that our Lithuanian allies have provided us. We relied on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian allies – and our own sailors, aviators and experts from the Corps of Engineers – allowed us to find and bring our soldiers to the house,” Donahue said in the press release. “This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have allies and friends.”

According to the 3rd infantry division, Duenez was a manager of the M1 Abrams tanks and had served more than seven years in the army. He deployed in Poland in 2021 and Germany in 2022, and he was currently used in the 5th squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment.

“The SGT. Jose Duenez will always hold a special place in our hearts. As chief and soldier, he gave the example every day – always the first to arrive and the last to leave, welcoming each challenge with a smile and a desire to support anyone who needs help, “said Captain Madyson K. Welens, a commander of his squadron.

Franco was also a maintenance of the Abrams M1 Tan System that had been in the army for more than six years. He deployed in Korea in 2020 and Germany in 2022.

Welens said that “Franco’s infectious smile and the true joy of being with his team were only equal by tenacity and conduct. He never asked more of his soldiers than he wanted to give himself – a real testimony of his character. ”

Taitano was also a M1 Abrams tank system. He had been in the army for almost two years, and that was his first deployment.

CPT. Matthew Lund, another commander of the 5th squadron, said: “Taitano will always be memories like the spark of the team. He was having a smile on his face, whatever the environment or the task and constantly gathered the team with his charisma and his laughter. ”

About 3,500 brigade soldiers were deployed in January to Poland places and Baltic States for a nine -month rotation as part of the Atlantic Resolve operation, which supports NATO allies and partners after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022.

“This loss is simply devastating,” said Norrie, the 3rd commander of the infantry division. “We wrap our arms around the families and relatives of our soldiers” during this difficult period.