Four soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division are missing from a training exercise in Lithuania, U.S. Army Africa and Europe confirmed Wednesday.
The four disappeared in a training area near Pabrad?, which sits less than 10 miles from the border of Belarus. The Army said all four were members 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, which is based in Fort Stewart, Georgia. Lithuanian media reported that the soldiers were the crew of an M88A2 Hercules, a tracked, tank-like vehicle used on the battlefield as an armored tow truck, recovering disabled armored vehicles.
“A search is being conducted by U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Lithuanian law enforcement and others,” the Army said in a statement. The soldiers were “conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident.”
“I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations,” said Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, the V Corps commanding general. “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.”
This story will be updated.