Editor’s note: On Wednesday afternoon, a NATO spokesperson issued a statement clarifying comments by Secretary General Mark Rutte earlier in the day on the missing soldiers. “On the 4 US soldiers missing in a military exercise in Lithuania, the search is ongoing. We regret any confusion about remarks @SecGenNATO delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports and was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown.”
Four soldiers died this week during a training incident in Lithuania, according to The Associated Press, which quoted NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
"This is still early news so we do not know the details. This is really terrible news, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones," Rutte told reporters Wednesday, according to the AP.
The soldiers had been missing since Tuesday afternoon and were members of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Their M88 Recovery Vehicle, which they were training in, had also been missing.
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The identities of the soldiers had not been released. The Army and other military services typically wait to release that information until next of kin has been notified.
The M88 is a heavily armored tow vehicle designed for retrieving disabled tanks and other large military equipment. It was being used as part of a broader training mission.
An Army official familiar with the situation said initial reports suggest the soldiers' vehicle may have become submerged in a swamp. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, cautioned that search teams are still exploring all possibilities, and the Army has not yet provided a definitive account of the incident.
Lithuanian authorities launched an extensive search operation, deploying law enforcement personnel, military units and aircraft assets to assist U.S. forces.
The soldiers were participating in a routine training exercise near Pabradė, a strategic military area close to the Belarusian border. Belarus, a staunch Russian ally, has played a critical role in Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine, making Lithuania a key location for NATO training operations.
"I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations," Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, the V Corps commanding general, said in a released statement. "It's this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders."
The news comes after two 3rd Infantry Division soldiers died in a separate tactical vehicle training incident in January near Fort Stewart. Staff Sgt. Shelbe Butner, 28, and Spc. Jacob Mullen, 25, died when their Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV, rolled over into a body of water and the cabin filled with water, according to a service incident report.
The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, was deployed to Europe in January as part of a broader effort to bolster NATO's front lines. Lithuania, a NATO member since 2004, has hosted a steady rotation of allied forces in recent years, serving as a key training ground for military exercises designed to deter Russian aggression.
While combat fatalities have become relatively rare in recent years, tactical vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death for service members.
Such incidents have been attributed to sleep deprivation during training exercises and scant training on tactical vehicle driving. The Army saw 153 tactical vehicle accidents between 2010 and 2019 that resulted in a death or significant injury, according to data from the Government Accountability Office.
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