The U.S. Army has identified three American soldiers who tragically died after their armored vehicle sank in a swamp near Pabradė, Lithuania. The soldiers, all 25 or younger, were Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, from Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, from Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, from Dededo, Guam. They were part of a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle when they went missing on March 25. Their M88 armored vehicle was found in a peat bog on March 31.
The soldiers were all M1 Abrams tank system maintainers assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Sgt. Duenez and Sgt. Franco had served in the Army for over six years, while Pfc. Taitano had served for nearly two years. The soldiers were deployed to Lithuania as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, aimed at providing credible ground deterrence alongside allies.
The fourth soldier's identity has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.
The loss has been described as "simply devastating" by Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division. He expressed condolences to the families and praised the support from Lithuanian allies during the recovery efforts. The U.S. Army is investigating the cause of the accident, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
The White House and military leaders have also expressed their condolences, acknowledging the selfless sacrifice of the soldiers. The recovery efforts involved hundreds of personnel from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Lithuanian, Polish, and Estonian armed forces.