The body of the fourth U.S. Army soldier who disappeared during a training exercise in Lithuania last week was found Tuesday afternoon, military officials announced.
Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, a 28-year-old native of Battle Creek, Michigan, was formally identified on Wednesday by the Army's 3rd Infantry Division.
Knutson-Collins was the last to be found after the bodies of three other soldiers were found Monday. All four of the lost soldiers were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
They had disappeared during a training exercise on March 25, when their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle submerged in a peat bog. The 63-ton armored vehicle was also removed from the peat bog early Monday.
Previously, the Army had identified the dead as: Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam.
“Although we are relieved to have found all our Dogface Soldiers, it does not make the pain of their loss any less,” Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Inf. Div. commanding general, said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We will continue to care for and support the Soldiers’ Families and loved ones as we bring them home and honor their memory.”
The U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.
The fourth soldier was found near Pabradė after a strenuous weeklong search that involved hundreds of rescue workers from American, Lithuanian, Polish and Estonian forces. The search required scouring thick forest and swampy terrain, as well as specialized equipment to stabilize the soft ground.
Lithuania had deployed the soldiers in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve "to provide credible ground deterrence alongside Allies and partners," the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Public Affairs Office said.
Operation Atlantic Resolve provides rotational deployments “of combat-credible forces” to Europe in a commitment to NATO, according to the military.