US Army: body of fourth soldier missing from Pabrade training ground found

The body of a fourth missing American soldier has been found at the Pabrade training ground, the United States (US) military's Europe and Africa Command said on Tuesday evening.

The soldier was serving with the 1st Armoured Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. His identity is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin. 

„Our condolences to the families of our soldiers. I am at a loss for words to express the support we have received from our Lithuanian allies. We relied on them, and they, together with our Polish and Estonian allies, and our own soldiers, airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers, helped to find and bring our soldiers home. This is a tragic event, but it shows once again what it means to have allies and friends," said General Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command.

„The past week has been crushing. Today, our hearts are heavy with the unbearable pain of learning that we have lost our last soldier," said Major General Christopher Norrie, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division.

„We are very grateful to our allies and friends in the service, especially the Lithuanians, who provided all the resources for this operation. Together, we fulfilled our promise to never leave our fallen colleagues behind," said Major General Curtis Taylor, commander of the 1st Armored Division.

The body of the fourth soldier was recovered after a search involving hundreds of people from the US Army and Air Force, the Lithuanian, Polish and Estonian armed forces, and Lithuanian government and civilian authorities.

The US military is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. More information will be released as it becomes available.

ELTA recalls that on Monday morning a sunken armoured personnel carrier was pulled out of a swamp near the Pabradė training ground and the bodies of the three dead US servicemen were found missing. 

Four soldiers with an M88 „Hercules“ tracked vehicle disappeared last week at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė – on Tuesday, officials received a report about it. The missing – US soldiers are from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

A search and rescue operation was launched shortly after the announcement, involving both Lithuanian and US troops, firefighters, the Air Force, border guards, Polish and Estonian allies, and other officials and experts.

The Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office has already opened a pre-trial investigation to determine the cause of the deaths of the soldiers.

The US troops were deployed in Lithuania and took part in the deterrence operation Operation Atlantic Resolve. The 3rd Infantry Division's permanent base is Fort Stewart, Georgia.