Four US Soldiers Confirmed Dead in Lithuania Training Accident

The U.S. Army has confirmed the identities of three of the four soldiers who died during a training exercise in Lithuania, with Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr. from Joliet, Illinois, Sgt. Edvin F. Franco from Glendale, California, and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano from Dededo, Guam, being recovered from a peat bog. The soldiers were part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and were reported missing after their M88A2 Hercules armored vehicle sank during a mission. The search involved hundreds of U.S. and Lithuanian military personnel and concluded with the recovery of the soldiers' bodies, providing closure to their families and comrades. Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie expressed the deep loss felt by the division, stating that the world is darker without the fallen soldiers. The fourth soldier's identity has not yet been released as family notifications are ongoing. The incident occurred amid ongoing operations in Europe as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.