In a tragic incident during a training exercise in Lithuania, four U.S. Army soldiers lost their lives when their M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle became submerged in a peat bog near Pabradė, close to the Belarus border. 

The soldiers, assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Georgia, were conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle when the accident occurred on March 25.

After a six-day recovery operation involving U.S., Lithuanian, and Polish forces, the vehicle was retrieved on March 31. The bodies of three soldiers were found inside; the fourth was recovered the following day. 

The fallen soldiers have been identified as Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, and Private First Class Dante D. Taitano.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is ongoing. Reportedly, the dense forests and swampy terrain where the accident occurred significantly hampered both the search efforts and the current investigation.

The Cost of Stationing Abroad

This incident comes at a time when the U.S. is re-evaluating its military footprint overseas, even in non-combat zones. 

President Donald Trump had previously advocated for a 20 percent reduction in America’s presence in NATO and Europe, along with a drawdown of forces in the Middle East.

This recent tragedy underscores the inherent risks faced by military personnel, even outside active combat situations. Historically, non-combat-related deaths have constituted a substantial portion of military fatalities—often resulting from accidents, illness, or self-inflicted injuries.

For example, during the Gulf War, 145 of the 293 U.S. military deaths were attributed to non-combat incidents. Similarly, in ongoing operations in the Horn of Africa, 27 U.S. service members have died in non-hostile incidents since those missions began.

According to U.S. military data, over 19,300 active-duty deaths were reported between 2006 and 2021. Of these, approximately one-quarter were tied to “Overseas Contingency Operations,” primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

In Iraq, 20 percent of active-duty deaths were classified as “non-hostile,” while in Afghanistan the figure was 16 percent. By 2012, the majority of active-duty military deaths were the result of non-combat incidents.

A separate study analyzing non-battle deaths among U.S. service members in the Middle East found that about one in five fatalities were non-combat-related—many of them considered potentially preventable.

Loss Beyond War

A 2021 study revealed that over 30,000 active-duty service members and veterans of post-9/11 conflicts had died by suicide—far exceeding the roughly 7,000 troops killed in combat during those same wars. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report documented more than 6,100 veteran suicides in 2020 alone.

While the Department of Defense has not yet released a comprehensive report for suicide-related incidents in 2024, preliminary data shows that 94 active-duty suicides occurred in the first quarter (January through March)—a slight increase from 91 during the same period in 2023.

Global Commitments, Rising Risks

As global conflicts continue to escalate in regions where the U.S. military is engaged, the risk of both combat-related and non-combat-related deaths is expected to rise.

The recent tragedy in Lithuania stands as a somber reminder of the dangers inherent in military training and operations, and it reignites debate over the ongoing decision to station American troops abroad—often in environments that present grave risks, even outside of war.