Three of the four soldiers who went missing in Lithuania last week were found dead this morning while their 63-ton submerged armored vehicle was being pulled out of a peat bog. The fourth soldier is still missing as of this writing.
The soldiers had been taking part in a training exercise before they vanished last Tuesday — one day after the Atlantic broke the Hegseth-Waltz Signal group-chat scandal.
Although the soldiers' vehicle was found on Wednesday, it wasn't until Monday that the three bodies were found. From NBC News:
The identities of the soldiers, who were all from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, are being withheld pending family notification, the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Public Affairs Office said.
Search and recovery operations are ongoing for the remaining fourth soldier.
The soldiers had been deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, military officials said. Lithuanian armed forces and law enforcement worked alongside them during last week's training exercise.
The recovery effort required specialized equipment to stabilize the soft ground in the area. The effort included Lithuanian military helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, as well as excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, and several hundred tons of gravel and earth.
"The Soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just Soldiers — they were a part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Inf. Div. commanding general, in a statement via NBC News.
"We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary 'Dogface Soldiers' during this unimaginable time. But the search isn't finished until everyone is home."
Previously: Pete Hegseth flubs words of U.S. motto — asks soldiers to "help me out" (video)
