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Additional assets arrive in support of recovery efforts in Lithuania
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Curtis D. Taylor, commanding general of the 1st Armored Division, walks with U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Kara McDonald near the site of ongoing operations to recover a U.S. Army M88 Hercules recovery vehicle submerged under several meters of water in a swamp near a training area in Pabradė, Lithuania, March 28, 2025.
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Christopher Saunders
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Recovery Efforts Continue at Site of Submerged Vehicle in Search for Missing Soldiers
U.S. Army soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Lithuanian Army and emergency services personnel discuss their plan during a challenging engineering task recovering a U.S. Army M88 Hercules submerged under several meters of water in a swamp near a training area near Pabadre, Lithuania March 27, 2025.
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Christopher Saunders
In the last 24 hours, U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities brought in additional assets to assist with the ongoing recovery efforts of four missing U.S. Army Soldiers and a M88 Hercules from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
A large capacity slurry pump, cranes, more than 30 tons of gravel, and subject matter experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are just some of the assets that arrived on site to assist with accessing the M88. The Polish Armed Forces have also volunteered a unit of military engineers, which is bringing in an additional water pump, tracked recovery vehicles, other additional equipment and supplies needed along with 150 personnel to aid in the effort.
The vehicle was found submerged approximately 15 feet under a body of water and mud in a boggy area of the Pabradė Training Area, Lithuania, March 26. Over the last 72 hours recovery teams consisting of U.S. Army Soldiers, Lithuanian Armed Forces, and other Lithuanian authorities and contractors have been working around the clock to drain water, dig, and dredge the mud that surrounds the vehicle to be able to extract it. Due to the conditions of the terrain, this is a complex and difficult operation.
The area around the site is incredibly wet and marshy and doesn’t support the weight of the equipment needed for the recovery of the 70-ton vehicle without significant engineering improvements. Draining the area has been slow and difficult due to ground water seepage.
The U.S. Army continues coordinating for additional subject matter experts and equipment to include a specialized US Navy Dive Crew from team CTF68. The dive crew is expected to arrive on site within the next 24 hours.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Kara C. McDonald and Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, Commanding General of the 1st Armored Division, visited the site earlier this morning to gain a better understanding of the complexity of the operation. They also visited with recovery teams and thanked them for their continued efforts.
“We greatly appreciate the Lithuanian president's visit today and the exceptional support we continue to receive from the Lithuanian Army,” said Taylor. “This will be a long and difficult recovery operation, but we are absolutely committed to bringing our soldiers home. I remain incredibly impressed by the discipline, commitment and comradery in this unit as they attempt to recover their missing comrades.”
